☝️ Key Points
- The song is about an unusual encounter of the narrator with Siamese twins.
- It is implied that there were intimate encounters between the narrator and the twins.
- The song plays with humorous elements while telling the story.
- The narrator feels uncomfortable when he meets the twins again a year later.
- The song prompts reflection on the meaning and consequences of such encounters.
Interpretation
"Letter to the Penthouse Forum" by
John Prine is a song about an unusual encounter the narrator had with Siamese twins. The narrator recalls a night a year ago, when he was sitting in the dormitory with his roommate and reading magazines out loud. They decided to go to a bar called Herbie's Tumble Inn and there they met two attractive Siamese twins.
The twins invited them to sit at the bar with them and it turned out that one of the twins was studying speech therapy. The narrator had an idea and suggested that they all should go back to the dormitory. As they left the bar, they encountered a variety of unusual scenes, such as a group of bikers, an aerobic dance class, and the campus ROTC commander. Nevertheless, they decided to return to the dormitory.
The narrative also hints at intimate encounters between the narrator and the twins, with one of the twins making a suggestive comment. Despite the incident and failing his speech therapy exam, the narrator received his degree.
A year later, the narrator returns to the bar with his roommate and encounters the twins again. He feels uncomfortable and sits at a different table. However, the twins come up to him and the one who was studying speech therapy reminds him that he may not remember them.
The lyrics of the song "Letter to the Penthouse Forum" tell of an unusual encounter and the memories associated with it. It plays with humorous elements while telling the story and prompts the listener to reflect on the meaning and consequences of such encounters."