POLLY SAMSON
The Case for Polly Samson
Here are a selection of ideas that can relate Polly Samson to Publius. I'm not saying it's a proof, but generally speaking, a lot of The Publius Enigma can be connected to Polly.
Could Polly Samson possibly be Publius? Strong evidences match this hypothesis. As the co-author of 7 lyrics, she seems to have included a lot of autobiographical elements.
1) VISION-BLINDNESS-DARKNESS-DEPRESSION
Born in London in 1962, with a terrible squint, she was known at school as Clarence the cross - eyed lion. (Fiery woman-lion with an enigmatic look in the eyes = sphinx!; Just remember the importance of the theme of Crossing or X or symmetry in the album ! ).
2) Had to wear enormous glasses in her childhood (Glasses > Lenses >Telescopes ? "tunnel vision" Lost for words, "Leading the blind..." Poles Apart (Polly's a part?)). The Samson in the Bible is blinded...Polly's almost blind? "Samson" derives from the Hebrew word for "sun". The "Blinded Sun is Eclipsed", a recurring theme in Pink Floyds lyrics. ?). The theme of the "Blinding of the Lion" is a allegory of the Sun's course in the sky. It also refers to the Winter Solstice (cf. Coming back to life).
IN THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT, Samson slays a Lion with bare hands to save Delilah. A swarm of bees have taken up their abobe in the carcass of the lion. Samson eats the honey and this episode becomes the occasion of the famous RIDDLE proposed by him to the thirty Philistines guests at his wedding. "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness".
Last and most famous Judges of Israel (Judges 13-16). When forced to kneel to the false god Dagon, he asks a boy to lead him to the two main pillars of the temple. Samson dies between two pillars or poles, ending the cult of Dagon (cf. Poles apart; Lost for words. Also note that two poles appear on page two of the CD booklet). This God Dagon is said to be half-man, half-fish. (Cf. Marooned whale's like facing symbols. Possible relation to Capricorn, the Goat-Fish of the Zodiac. Is Polly Samson a Capricorn?)
3) She was a rebellious kid: ". And so I'd push it, wanting them to say 'No' and shake me."
4) Was a shy and solitary child: " I was too scared to let anyone read a word". (Keep Talking, Due to a lack of money, she easily secluded herself: "From morning to night I stayed out of sight..." Wearing the Inside Out, What do you want from me).
5) Childhood trauma: Fear of rejection. Parents were not demonstrative. Samson's mother had great difficulty handling the mother-daughter relationship. "it was her mother she missed while she wrote her autobiography when Polly was little. "I was very aware as a child of how unhappy my mother could be. When you came home from school you were never sure which mother you would encounter.".
Developed a faculty for anticipating people emotional reactions to avoid being surprised. Control freak "You can [...] sell your soul for complete control" WDYWFM). Her father and mother were trained writers. Their daughter is also a writer... Her devotion to her parents is extreme. Inferiority complex. Looking for Models. > Publius as an avatar to secretely manipulate large groups of people. Strong needs of recognition prior her marriage with Gilmour. "David got me to write some songs for Pink Floyd which was his very clever way of giving me my self-respect, because I earned a lot of money and so I was able to go into the marriage well - off."
6) First married to poet Heathcote Williams. Had a son, Charlie ("And there's a change that, even with regret, cannot be undone... AGDFF". Abandoned lover and mother. (Leading the blind (herself...) while I stared out the steel in your eyes (was Heathcote extremely cold and emotionally deficient?); "did you see that it wasn't only me you were running from..." Poles Apart); Admiring others is an integral part of her life: "I'd never thought that you'd lose that light in your eyes").
7) The choice between a baby and art was intensified when Williams walked out on her before their son's first birthday. History of abandonment and woundedness.
8) Had a career in journalism writing for the Observer (cf. Cluster One and the Observatory...) and the Sunday Times as well as weekly book reviews for the Daily Mail, unconsciously (?) imitating her father who was diplomatic correspondent for the Daily Worker (notice The Evening Standard on the background of AGDFF...)
9) - Was a writer: "I have always written and I always intended to become a published rather than secret writer..." (Lost for Words,...May be she started her career launching the enigma?)
10) Worked as publicity director at Cape (designing advertising schemes and concepts, commercial propaganda? The Enigma –be it real or fake– is a huge propaganda ! )
11) Married David Gilmour: Polly and David married in 1994 (11.30am, 29.07.94) and live in West Sussex. Their sons Joe and Gabriel were born in 1995 and 1997. Romany Rose, was born in December 2001.
12) In 1993 she co-wrote, with David Gilmour, the lyrics to seven tracks on Pink Floyd's album, The Division Bell.
13) When she wrote she became a totalitarian mother. Samson doesn't want to write another book with children in the house. (The Wall?). There's a totalitarian –1984esque– side to Publius. (I know who you are but you don't know who I am...)
14) QUOTE: "Polly is a disgruntled Queen in a hotbed of Machiavellian intrigue. Polly's the power on the throne, so she gets all the flak. Polly Samson is [...] both the whole point of the tour and its most implacable enemy. A hyper-adrenalised, serial heartbreaker..." (from the Q magazine interview)
by cordelia