The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Somebody's reading your mind
Damned if you know who it is
They're digging through all of your files
Stealing back your best ideas
You cover your windows with lead
Even keeping the pets outside
Then you hear a moment too late this sound coming over the phone
This is the spawning of the cage and aquarium
Don't wait a moment too soon
Used to be different, now you're the same
Yawn as your plane goes down in flames
This is the spawning of the cage and aquarium
Don't wait a moment too soon
Used to be different, now you're the same
Yawn as your plane goes down in flames
Damned if you know who it is
They're digging through all of your files
Stealing back your best ideas
You cover your windows with lead
Even keeping the pets outside
Then you hear a moment too late this sound coming over the phone
This is the spawning of the cage and aquarium
Don't wait a moment too soon
Used to be different, now you're the same
Yawn as your plane goes down in flames
This is the spawning of the cage and aquarium
Don't wait a moment too soon
Used to be different, now you're the same
Yawn as your plane goes down in flames
Lyrics submitted by qshapadooy
Cage & Aquarium Lyrics as written by John Linnell John Flansburgh
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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i can't help but agree with a lot of the interpretation that's been posted before my humble addition, so hey, well done, all. it's also nice to see TMBG's older trick of retooling lyrics from other tunes to fit in with their songs have a strong impact on the overall message people pick up.
but yeah, i'm not totally content with what i've come up with, mainly because my initial reaction was to the 2nd half of the song (probably because of the repetition/more distinct lyrics). but anyway...
my first notion was that of a plane crash. the moment a passenger plane hits the water (despite recent miraculous events), it because a cage, and soon thereafter, an aquarium. while a moment before the violent descent all the passengers were individuals, on to their rent-a-cars, and limousines, and awaiting relatives with the mini-van, and then their separate lives, as soon as the altitude plummeted, they were all the same basic person, struggling through same basic crash procedures (oxygen mask, seat belt, assume the crash position), shouting the same basic pleas until impact, where they sink an only manage to create a dull yawning sound as they drift down towards the fate awaiting. again, working back from this to the first half of the song, i can try to stretch that they've closed the window shades, and the pets are fastened in back with the luggage. i could even try to go so far as to say that the rest of the opening stanza refers to an announcement over the intercom on what everyone should be doing, (and yes it would be under pressure in a very tense situation), but really aren't all of the emergency procedures kind of common sense when you think about it? did they need the voice to remind them what their survival instincts are silently telling them to do? of course it's all for nothing in the end. they decorate the aquarium soon...
thanks for reading if you have! i know some of this may be out of nowhere, and i repeat, i do like and agree with much of what's already been posted. i guess i was hoping that i could "direct your attention to the [preceding] simile" and maybe provide a slanted view of the Hippy-->Yuppy evolution.