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"Undun" Mystery

R

RicoGregg

If this has been brought up before, then please forgive me.

I think we of Baby Boomer age are pretty much all familiar with 1969's "Undun" by the Guess Who. This group later did the rocking, rollickin' "American Woman" and spawned Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Burton Cummings.

There's some intriguing lyrics in "Undun". If you're not "Undun"-indoctrinated, here is the song with lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb9P8BLipqo

My question is: Who is this song about? I've asked people in radio, music, and such over the years, and there doesn't seem to be a consensus answer.

The names that get mentioned the most are:

Marilyn Monroe, probable suicide in 1962 at age 36. Had an unhappy affair with JFK shortly before her death;

Carole Landis, 20th Century Fox starlet, probable suicide in 1948 at age 28, had an unhappy affair with Rex Harrison right up to her death. Surviving relatives claim to this day that Harrison murdered her;

Gail Russell, a beautiful actress with a face tailor-made for close-ups. Was married to Guy Madison. Had alcohol-related problems and died of an accidental overdose at age 36 in 1961;

Dorothy Dandridge, whose skin color kept her from becoming a mega-star. First African-American actress to be nominated for Best Actress for her title role in 1954's "Carmen Jones." Died of an accidental overdose in 1965 at age 42;

Diane Linkletter, daughter of Art Linkletter. Probable suicide at age 20 from a high-rise balcony in 1968. Her father always blamed drugs for her death, but the coroner's report found no evidence of drugs in her system.

Over the years, those have been the most-mentioned names in my "Undun" query.

If anyone feels they know the answer, please feel free to chime in. I'd love to solve this mystery.
 
RicoGregg said:
If anyone feels they know the answer, please feel free to chime in. I'd love to solve this mystery.
Click to expand...

I always thought a lady that was high on LSD, and just wanted to "fly"....a suicide from a tall object. Could be many ideas here.......in 1969 anything goes!

Great song otherwise.
 
RicoGregg said:
The names that get mentioned the most are:

Marilyn Monroe, probable suicide in 1962 at age 36. Had an unhappy affair with JFK shortly before her death;
Click to expand...

Marilyn would be my first choice. She was a world renowned beauty and movie star and her death was totally unexpected. Like Elton John penned, she was truly a Candle In The Wind.

RicoGregg said:
Carole Landis, 20th Century Fox starlet, probable suicide in 1948 at age 28, had an unhappy affair with Rex Harrison right up to her death. Surviving relatives claim to this day that Harrison murdered her.
Click to expand...

Landis was hooked up with many men and although very beautiful never had the movie career she might have had if not for a relationship with Daryll Zanuck. She was much better known for her USO work during WWII. Not popular enough, IMHO, to be sung about.

RicoGregg said:
Gail Russell, a beautiful actress with a face tailor-made for close-ups. Was married to Guy Madison. Had alcohol-related problems and died of an accidental overdose at age 36 in 1961
Click to expand...

A screen beauty but a personal train wreck. Doubt she was worth singing about.

RicoGregg said:
Dorothy Dandridge, whose skin color kept her from becoming a mega-star. First African-American actress to be nominated for Best Actress for her title role in 1954's "Carmen Jones." Died of an accidental overdose in 1965 at age 42
Click to expand...

Dorothy had an uneven career which was in decline ten full years before the song "Undone" became a hit. As a 20-something at the time I had never heard of her. I don't think The Guess Who had either.

RicoGregg said:
Diane Linkletter, daughter of Art Linkletter. Probable suicide at age 20 from a high-rise balcony in 1968. Her father always blamed drugs for her death, but the coroner's report found no evidence of drugs in her system.
Click to expand...

Art Linkletter was a very popular TV personality and I remember well the shock at hearing of the possible suicide of his daughter. The common opinion at the time was her drug use. I have no way of knowing whether or not she used drugs or whether they contributed to her death but she was not famous in her own right - certainly not enough to have warranted a vocal tribute.

The mystery continues.....
 
The mystery continues...

According to "Songfacts":

The lyrics are about a girl Bachman saw at a party who went into a coma after dropping acid.
 
I saw the 60s here on the West Coast. I experienced some of that time.

I would have sworn that the one thing you can't do after dropping acid is to go into a coma.

Maybe I'm wrong.

Doctor in the house? ???
 
Overdose of LSD can cause brain trauma leading to coma.
 
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