What does the song, Honey and Ashes, represent in the novel, Ghosts of New York?

The song “Honey and Ashes” represents the inarticulable and near-mystical spirit of New York—a spirit defined, largely, by a sense of powerful collectivism. Lewis threads the song throughout the novel; in this way, “Honey and Ashes” connects his four central stories. The song’s ability to connect apparently separate stories recalls the way in which New York itself binds together its residents, through links both explicit and highly subtle. In turn, the use of both minor and major keys in the song, as well its emotional complexity, aligns well with Lewis’ characterization of New York as a city steeped in beautiful and inexplicable contradiction.