first, the lyrics offer no clue what "4th Street" in the title signifies. therefore my guess, below, is preliminary and subject to change in the event the 4th Street reference ever becomes clear.
the song criticises aspects of modern America: the first verse condemns celebrity worship. the second condemns violence on TV and commercialism. The third condemns the myth of America as an affluent nation of Cadillacs and a chicken in every pot, juxtaposed with the reality of widespread domestic poverty, and hypocritical lip-service to altruistic values masking a culture of greed and egocentrism, of which much denial prevails.
"All the girls named Gloria" is a sarcastic term for angels
"sing sweetly out of key" heavenly praises sung of America, however sweet, ring false, out of tune and out of touch
"sun rose in the west today" could mean that everything we think is true is false/opposite (the sun should rise in the east).
"...accidents in the land of the free" pulling this out of an unnamed orifice here, but this could be mean that individual "success" stories in America are nothing more than accidents, that success comes in spite of, not because of, the way things are. or it be meant sarcastically, that success-story "accidents" are not accidents at all and that individual success in America occurs only after climbing upon the backs of others.
"accidents do/will happen.... don't you dare ask me how" the narrator is ashamed of his/her own success, either calling it an accident literally, or suggesting sarcastically that it occurred not as an accident but at the expense of others.
"4th Street" may refer to a place where an accident occurred that inspired the song, but I can't fathom how an accident might have inspired this criticism of American culture/economy/society.
The title "Accidentally 4th Street" might be a play on Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street". In that way, this song could be viewed as a response or follow-up of that Dylan song.
The title "Accidentally 4th Street" might be a play on Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street". In that way, this song could be viewed as a response or follow-up of that Dylan song.
Dylan's song targets an unnamed person for being opportunistic, insincere, secretly hostile, lacking integrity, self-pitying, and otherwise an all-around *****, while this song, I think, targets modern consumer society and its decaying moral values. The same derisive tone is used in both songs. Another similarity is that "4th Street" is never mentioned in the lyrics of either song.
Dylan's song targets an unnamed person for being opportunistic, insincere, secretly hostile, lacking integrity, self-pitying, and otherwise an all-around *****, while this song, I think, targets modern consumer society and its decaying moral values. The same derisive tone is used in both songs. Another similarity is that "4th Street" is never mentioned in the lyrics of either song.
I always thought "the sun rose in the west today" referred to a (potential) nuclear explosion. To me, an explosion in "the west" would refer to America, also tying in the next lyric "accidents in the land of the free".
I always thought "the sun rose in the west today" referred to a (potential) nuclear explosion. To me, an explosion in "the west" would refer to America, also tying in the next lyric "accidents in the land of the free".
I think your analysis is pretty spot on for the rest, and I'll add to it that I think the criticism points specifically toward Ronald Reagan (the pseudo-fascist hero machine) as well as modern America at the time. Remember, this song was written in the mid 80's. Politics aside, Reagan was viewed my many as warmongering and likely to get us all killed with his game of chicken with the Soviet Union. The song refers to the glossy sheen the administration put around the whole defense build up, glorifying war, while referring to having grown up in the Vietnam era where they showed the real cost of war on tv.
Overall, I think the song is referring to Reagan's military build up, the glorifying of war while ignoring poverty at home, and the potential for nuclear disaster. Of course this is completely subjective, it's just sort of what the song meant to me.
first, the lyrics offer no clue what "4th Street" in the title signifies. therefore my guess, below, is preliminary and subject to change in the event the 4th Street reference ever becomes clear.
the song criticises aspects of modern America: the first verse condemns celebrity worship. the second condemns violence on TV and commercialism. The third condemns the myth of America as an affluent nation of Cadillacs and a chicken in every pot, juxtaposed with the reality of widespread domestic poverty, and hypocritical lip-service to altruistic values masking a culture of greed and egocentrism, of which much denial prevails.
"All the girls named Gloria" is a sarcastic term for angels "sing sweetly out of key" heavenly praises sung of America, however sweet, ring false, out of tune and out of touch "sun rose in the west today" could mean that everything we think is true is false/opposite (the sun should rise in the east). "...accidents in the land of the free" pulling this out of an unnamed orifice here, but this could be mean that individual "success" stories in America are nothing more than accidents, that success comes in spite of, not because of, the way things are. or it be meant sarcastically, that success-story "accidents" are not accidents at all and that individual success in America occurs only after climbing upon the backs of others.
"accidents do/will happen.... don't you dare ask me how" the narrator is ashamed of his/her own success, either calling it an accident literally, or suggesting sarcastically that it occurred not as an accident but at the expense of others.
"4th Street" may refer to a place where an accident occurred that inspired the song, but I can't fathom how an accident might have inspired this criticism of American culture/economy/society.
Continuing my post above,
Continuing my post above,
The title "Accidentally 4th Street" might be a play on Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street". In that way, this song could be viewed as a response or follow-up of that Dylan song.
The title "Accidentally 4th Street" might be a play on Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street". In that way, this song could be viewed as a response or follow-up of that Dylan song.
Dylan's song targets an unnamed person for being opportunistic, insincere, secretly hostile, lacking integrity, self-pitying, and otherwise an all-around *****, while this song, I think, targets modern consumer society and its decaying moral values. The same derisive tone is used in both songs. Another similarity is that "4th Street" is never mentioned in the lyrics of either song.
Dylan's song targets an unnamed person for being opportunistic, insincere, secretly hostile, lacking integrity, self-pitying, and otherwise an all-around *****, while this song, I think, targets modern consumer society and its decaying moral values. The same derisive tone is used in both songs. Another similarity is that "4th Street" is never mentioned in the lyrics of either song.
I always thought "the sun rose in the west today" referred to a (potential) nuclear explosion. To me, an explosion in "the west" would refer to America, also tying in the next lyric "accidents in the land of the free".
I always thought "the sun rose in the west today" referred to a (potential) nuclear explosion. To me, an explosion in "the west" would refer to America, also tying in the next lyric "accidents in the land of the free".
I think your analysis is pretty spot on for the rest, and I'll add to it that I think the criticism points specifically toward Ronald Reagan (the pseudo-fascist hero machine) as well as modern America at the time. Remember, this song was written in the mid 80's. Politics aside, Reagan was viewed my many as warmongering and likely to get us all killed with his game of chicken with the Soviet Union. The song refers to the glossy sheen the administration put around the whole defense build up, glorifying war, while referring to having grown up in the Vietnam era where they showed the real cost of war on tv.
Overall, I think the song is referring to Reagan's military build up, the glorifying of war while ignoring poverty at home, and the potential for nuclear disaster. Of course this is completely subjective, it's just sort of what the song meant to me.