Thread by @AlexandraErin

Of all the things in Paint Your Wagon that make sense, the part where a whole wide countryside of drunks just reached an unspoken agreement that fire is named Joe makes the most sense.

Note: Not a particular fire. Like, all fire. The concept of fire. He is named Joe.

This isn't particularly relevant to the plot, it only comes up once as an aside in the context of a song about how prospectors are all lonely and also kind of low-key horny for the wind.

I mean, he's singing about a human girl but he doesn't even mention her name. It's possible he isn't aware, in that moment, that you can give a name to something that isn't a primeval force of nature.

And he just sounds way more into the wind than her.

In conclusion, musical theater is amazing.