The Fiery Furnaces "My Egypian Grammar"

The Fiery Furnaces have a song My Egyptian Grammar on  their album Widow City:

You'll find the lyrics over here.

I never thought it could have happened to me.
But on the morning of my eldest daughter's
Second wedding, I blacked out.
They said it was just stress, but I didn't think so: 

I couldn't remember the 15 minutes before.
A white-haired half Samoan girl from Darwin
Gave me a ride, it seems; she let me the car in.
But what it was she said, I couldn't say. 

Now, that clearly didn't happen. I consulted my Egyptian Grammar.
On p. 333 was the hieroglyph for motorcycle helmet. 

I combined this with a leather-back's shell as I felt I was instructed.
I Xeroxed it and posted it down by the bike lock-ups at the Oriental Institute.
Maybe a nether-world entity would see it and pass it on to those responsible.
That kind of thing must happen sometimes. 

Now that clearly didn't happen. I consulted by Egyptian Grammar.
On p. 428 was the hieroglyph for French Canal boat. 

I met on the Midway someone channeling up a whatever it wasn't:
There are 17 sections of cymbals in the orchestra of the oversold, it said.
Your youth is lost and doesn't it now seem
You can't make smoke--only steam? 

Now that clearly didn't happen. I consulted my Egyptian Grammar.
On p. 566 was the hieroglyph for a blue jay.

 There must be a back story.  Who can help?

H/T to TS

News: Paging Dr. Jones

Indiana Jones materials to appear on display at Oriental Institute Museum

By William Harms

December 19, 2012

The contents of a package of Indiana Jones material that mysteriously arrived at the University of Chicago will be on display beginning Thursday, Dec. 20 and continuing through February in the lobby of the Oriental Institute Museum.

The mystery began Dec. 12, when a package addressed to “Henry Walton Jones, Jr.” arrived at the University of Chicago Admissions Office.

A student worker realized that the package was meant for Dr. Indiana Jones, the famous archaeologist of Raiders of the Lost Ark fame. Inside the package was a journal of Abner Ravenwood, the fictional UChicago professor who trained Indiana Jones...

 

This story broke on the University of Chicago Admissions blog: Indiana Jones Mystery Package.  It was solved a few days later: Mischief Managed.

See the chronicle of news about the Oriental Institute.

The changing neighbohood

Some interesting visualizations of what the neighborhood of the Oriental Institute will be like once the renovation and landscaping of the Becker Friedman Institute is complete are here.

 

And the Hyde Park Herald has some background on the University of Chicago Woodlawn Avenue Plan.