This song haunts me. Neko Case is amazing from any angle: musician, poet, strong survivor of life’s trials. But this song sticks with me, and I can’t shake it off. I’m sure the story is not as simple from Pauline’s point of view, but still… This song seems as much a poem as any of Simon and Garfunkle’s poetry. Here are the lyrics.
“Margaret vs. Pauline”
Everything’s so easy for Pauline
Everything’s so easy for Pauline
Ancient strings set feet a light to speed to her such mild grace
No monument of tacky gold
They smoothed her hair with cinnamon waves
And they placed an ingot in her breast to burn cool and collected
Fate holds her firm in its cradle and then rolls her for a tender pause to savor
Everything’s so easy for PaulineGirl with the parking lot eyes
Margaret is the fragments of a name
Her bravery is mistaken for the thrashing in the lake
Of the make-believe monster whose picture was faked
Margaret is the fragments of a name
Her love pours like a fountain
Her love steams like rage
Her jaw aches from wanting and she’s sick from chlorine
But she’ll never be as clean
As the cool side of satin, PaulineTwo girls ride the blue line
Two girls walk down the same street
One left her sweater sittin’ on the train
The other lost three fingers at the cannery
Everything’s so easy for Pauline
Rebecca Kuder 