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And if Venice Is Sinking
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Wikipedia article
"'And if Venice Is Sinking'" is a song written by John Mann and Geoffrey Kelly for the Canadian folk-rock band Spirit of the West. Spirit of the West recorded the song on their studio album 'Faithlift'. It also appeared on their greatest hits album 'Hit Parade', both in the original studio single and as a live recording with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Content
The song is about Mann's honeymoon in Venice with his wife, Jill Daum. Infatuated with the city, Mann expresses his desire never to leave by alluding to the sinking of the city and asserting that he'll go down with it: "And if Venice is sinking/Then I'm going under". The song also references Marino Marini's sculpture LAngelo della Citt:
'We made love upon a bed'
'That sagged down to the floor'
'In a room that had a postcard on the door'
'Of Marini's Little Man'
'With an erection on a horse'
'It always leaves me laughing'
Several of the band's friends and family members, as well as producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda, also appear on the track as backing vocalists on the song's final chorus, and are credited in the album's liner notes as "Venetian Choir". Daum herself can be heard laughing in the background after the word "erection".
Chart performance
It proved to be Spirit of the West's most successful single on the Canadian pop charts, reaching #30 on the 'RPM' Top 100 singles chart the week of November 20, 1993, and #12 on the adult contemporary charts the week of January 31, 1994; it was also the band's only single ever to appear on the magazine's country music charts, peaking at #93 in the week of October 9, 1993.
However, some radio stations played an edited version with the words "with an erection" blanked out.
Year-end charts
Awards
Douglas Koch won the cinematography award at the MuchMusic Video Awards for the song's video. The video was also a nominee for Best Video."Much Music video award nominations announced". 'Hamilton Spectator', September 7, 1994.
References
Category:1993 songs
Category:Spirit of the West songs
Category:Venice in fiction
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