Question about Flickering Flame.

I know that "my freind Phillipe" refers to the photographer freind of Rog from South Africa who died ..sadly..
But I am still confused about the other characters that are in lyrics of FFlame..eg. Molly Malone/Jack Daw/Cardinal/Leopald Bloom/Colored Girl.. etc.
Anyone knows about the significance of these people?

Molly Malone is the mythical mollusk-monger of Dublin. Leopold Bloom occupies most of the narrative in James Joyce's Ulysses, and is meant to be the Dubliners' answer to Odysseus. Jackdaws and cardinals are both species of birds (however, the Cardinal here refers to a senior ecclesiastical official for the Church of Rome), and coloured girls are dark-skinned ladies who sing the blues. By the way, Ça Ira happens to be partly dedicated to Phillipe. There's an interview with him here.

This song certainly has a lot of literary resonance for me. I was surprised to find out that the Rue St-Denis is not unlike a Parisian version of Times Square, red light district and all. But I'd also like to find out what it specifically was that happened to the Blackfoot and Arapaho tribes... or Crazy Horse for that matter. I'm not very well-versed in American history.

Whattaya know, 5000 posts!

Crazy Horse? You mean that cabaret thing in Paris?

Neil Young's band?

nope.. its not Neil Young's Crazy horse!!
The line"in Rue St-Denis ;where the RED velvet cutrain draws back to reveal , the place where the dark side meets the angel in me...."Beautiful !!!!
and also "....when a pick up band hits the right note....strike the mote...men take their whiskey's outside ...and the woman break ???" Now what does these verse are supposed to refer to?
Thanks Botley for the enlightment of my Roger Water Maniacal mind....he's one of the best lyricist to use subtle yet powerful references in his songs!!!

Certainly its not hiom that Rog is referiing to here;apparently.I found out about crazy horse at wikipedia. Here are excerpts from the topic.Crazy Horse (Lakota: Tasunka witko, pronounced tashúnka uitko), (c. 1838 – September 5, 1877) was a respected member of the Oglala Sioux Native American tribe and is noted for his courage in battle. Crazy Horse was recognized among his own people as a visionary leader committed to preserving the traditions and values of the Lakota way of life and leading his people into a war against the take-over of their lands by European emigrants....Spotted Tail and Red Cloud conspired against Crazy Horse by reporting to Crook that the next time he held council with Crazy Horse, that the Crazy Horse would kill him. Friends of Crazy Horse learned of the plot and told him. He responded by taking his ill wife to her parents at the Spotted Tail Agency, where his enemies circulated stories that he had fled Fort Robinson. Crazy Horse then went to the Brulés agent, Captain Luke Lea, who said that Crazy Horse should return to Fort Robinson and correct the false rumors. When, on September 5, 1877, he returned to Fort Robinson, the guards attempted to arrest him. He resisted and private William Gentiles, a 20-year army veteran who never rose above the rank of private, lunged at Crazy Horse with his bayonet, striking him near his left kidney. He died during the night in the Adjutant's Office, with Dr. McGillycuddy providing medical care and his father singing the death song over him. His body was taken away by his parents and laid to rest somewhere in the Badlands.

Well;we all know that Geronimo;Arapaho,Black Bull and The Crazy Horse refer to those zany Red-Indians.

Quinn The Eskimo:Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" is a popular song written by Bob Dylan.Lyrically, the song is a somewhat light-hearted tale with vaguely psychedelic lyrics. Some have presumed that Quinn is a drug dealer. Dylan himself has said that the title character refers to actor Anthony Quinn's role as an Eskimo in the 1959 movie The Savage Innocents.
Initially unreleased by Dylan, it was picked up and recorded by the British band Manfred Mann, who released their version under the title "Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)." The Manfred Mann version reached #1 in the U.K. for the week of February 17, 1968, and remained there for the following week. It also charted on the American billboard chart, peaking at #10.Bob Dylan first released his own version of the song, under its original title, when he included it on his Self Portrait album in 1970. Although the album as a whole was poorly received, Dylan's version of "Quinn the Eskimo" is often included in Bob Dylan compendiums.

do I detect some Indian jealousy

Indian splattered on Con's Highway....Ghost clownin the young child's Fragile "Ostrich" egg shelled mind.....
I love you;Indian lover....

Far out man.

"When a freind dies...and the tears rise from that deep well that never runs dry.." -Who is Rog mourning here?poignat ..... touched my heart and will do so till i die.Its gems like these that make Rog my fav.

I believe it's Phillipe.

I read somewhere (....REG) that Phillipe was a photgrapher who died in South Africa and had sent some photos of the civil war during his last days there?