I wish to weigh in on The Great Jam Controversy. It has been suggested by some here that the lyric involving the fore-mentioned jam is somehow inadequate. It is this writer's opinion that the lyric as written containing said jam is not only adequate but also the only appropriate lyric for the song, but there are other major lyrical faux pas that any sophisticated listener should not only notice but find to be nearly offensive. This essay shall prove my hypothesis.

When we are introduced to the protagonist [['Mama') in the first stanza, we are told by the un-named narrator [[and antagonist) of the piece that the protagonist was 'cookin' bread'. So, it is established that Mama is a woman of the kitchen, and it is also established that the narrator has limited knowledge of common vocabulary as in the American English language idiom one bakes bread, one does not ‘cook’ bread.

In the second stanza the narrator tells us that she has relocated to a ‘college town’ where she establishes a new identity. Additionally the narrator proves herself a sympathetic yet unreliable narrator. Along with her lies about her past life she has alluded to having attended college, yet her misuse of the word ‘cookin’ in the first stanza points to someone of less-than ideal education.

The next stanzas relay the narrator’s marriage, child birth, and rather cruel obstruction of any situation that would have enabled ‘Mama’ to meet her grandchild. In a clever foreshadow of the tragedy to come a chorus tells the listener that the narrator is now yearning to reach out to ‘Mama’.

The final stanza contains the controversial ‘jam’ line. It is perfection on the part of the lyricist that ‘Mama’, previously established as a woman of the kitchen, would pass while cooking. The narrative has concluded in a full circle, with the protagonist passing away as she had lived, doing her beloved cooking and thinking of her estranged daughter.

It is a perfect line and the song would be senseless [[SENSELESS!!) any other way. Autographed copies of this paper are available in the lobby.