Song Interpretation Thread

[theperfectcat]

Originally Posted by Classified Machine

Mocking Eugenics, by the looks of it. In that, Hawking is the sort of person that might 'fail the physical' by some Eugencist standards, if his could condition could be detected in advance, but yet look what he's achieved. Presumably therefore the sex revolution Richey envisages is a return to Eugencis.

Some people (feminists) like Sheila Jeffreys have criticized the actual 60s sexual revolution as a movement that only benefited certain groups, and did little to "sexually liberate" those that weren't young white middle-class men. So the existing sex revolution could just as easily have been the movement privileging only the sexuality of those who are in power and fit a physical ideal. Though I agree with your interpretation for the most part. It seems the unedited lyrics are a series of spectacles justifying judgement of certain people and groups- based on this, and what James said about the song describing people just wanting to watch each other fail ("three strikes yr out-execution-pizza" suggesting commercialization of this), they could signify the tendency to mock those who fail to meet eugenicist standards.

Before I read the extra lyrics, which didn't seem to fit in with my interpretation, I thought the "African Punch and Judy show" might refer to a domestic narrative (since P+J is basically about their strange relationship and Punch's run-ins with authority) that is undervalued because it concerns black sexuality (or a variation on the story influenced by African cultures), which is not the "ideal" from a racist Eugenicist standpoint. Or just that a spectacle like a Punch and Judy show is nowhere near as commercialized or overvalued in the non-Western world. And I thought the discussion of Giant Haystacks again referred to body politics by suggesting his size was part of the spectacle. But, due to Richey's style the lines could only be vaguely related, and it does make a lot of sense to apply ideas about imperialism to the lyrics.

[gladstone]

Okay, Ill try So Why So Sad myself. Think its about trauma faced when realising you're alone in the universe without God. Kind of atheist whinging. Not sure if thats my own interpretation or whether I nicked it from Simon Price though.

Next song - Blackholes For The Young anyone?

[Nature's Discontent]

No idea about BHFTY, but I've always been wondering about Dead Passive, does anyone have a clue what that's about?

[gladstone]

Dead Passive is about relationships, years down the line when the passion and romance has gone.

Partly a critique of the idea of the "caring sharing 90s"?

See the most poetic expression of working class disaffection:

All we wanted was a home
Now we are so strung out we wanna own(I thought this was 'roam' til I looked it up just now(they are 'roaming' in the video))
Like a leaf in the autumn breeze
Like a flood in January
We don't want your fucking love

This links with the line "As we are told that this is the end" in A Design for Life which I have thought of as a reference to Francis Fukuyama's idea of "The End of History" - the triumph of Western liberal democracy.