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SwarthyWalnuts t1_izc9qc3 wrote

Reply to comment by TrueBirch in Swans: The ultimate gift from your true love [OC] by TrueBirch

Interesting that you interpreted it as a cumulative gift, each verse being an additional X number of gifts. I wonder what the results would be if it was just the numbered amount of each gift.

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T_that_is_all t1_izcaugl wrote

That's how I've always interpreted it, but it seems to be a steady belief that it adds to the qty with each run through of the verses. Makes no sense. The song is about giving gifts over a certain period of time, so how would each day happen multiple times, without time travel/manipulation.

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soniclettuce t1_izcxefx wrote

Read the lyrics...

>On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree

>On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

You're clearly getting both things on the second day. And so on as the days continue.

There's no time travel you're just getting duplicate gifts every following day.

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SwarthyWalnuts t1_izcy7yv wrote

Or the lyricist is just reiterating the gifts received on previous days.

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soniclettuce t1_izczg67 wrote

That would be a pretty weird way to use the word "and".

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SwarthyWalnuts t1_izdsekz wrote

Not if it’s simply a list of gifts given in prior days. I’ve always interpreted each verse as two separate thoughts: a gift given on a certain day followed by a listing of all prior gifts. I think this is plausible due to many of the singers’ renditions of this song vocally drawing out the current days gift, sometimes followed by a brief pause, and then running straight through the list of past gifts, as if keeping track or running tally.

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robodut t1_izd9rvv wrote

Local radio station here in Hawaii does this. Every year they calculate the cumulative cost of all the gifts and they do it this way where everything is given multiple times so I've always thought that's how it was.

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JulianMarcello t1_izd3jtv wrote

I seriously doubt that the writer of the song intended for repeat gifts, even though he/ she uses the word “and”. What other word would work as well and still keep the song “intact”?

If I gave my wife a puppy on day 1 and a ring on day 2. Well, I’m not also giving her a another puppy on day 2. Why would anyone think that, regardless of how I write it down?

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cockmanderkeen t1_izdan1j wrote

Sucks to be your wife with her one puppy.

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randomusername8472 t1_izev3sv wrote

If I said,

  • "On day one I give you A
  • On day two I give you A and B."

Then you would have 2A and 1B.

​

Otherwise I would say

  • "On Day one I give you A.
  • On Day two I give you B."

Then you would have 1A and 1B.

​

>Why would anyone think that, regardless of how I write it down?

Because words have largely agreed upon meanings and if you deviate from that meaning massively people don't understand you.

If you said to someone:

"On day one, I'm giving my gf a puppy, and on day 2 I'm giving her a puppy and a ring"

Then I'm certain almost all native English speakers would understand that you have given her a puppy on day one, and then another puppy and a ring on day two.

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