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Everything Everything – Tin (The Manhole) Lyrics 14 years ago
I agree with some of the above, mainly the ideas by shanefglynn.

In addition it seems clear to me that the lyrics:

"I'll be the fox by the road I am"
- is the singer explaining to us that he is putting himself in the 'shoes' of the fox.

"And I am almost up to the shoulders of a horse."
- is the fox describing being dangled by the person who captured it who is riding on a horse.

Also:

"Little Sea Anemone, pool of rocks"
- is the singer describing the 'pool' of broken bones in the fox's shell which is now like a sea anemone (without bones).

"Why'd you see, an enemy I cannot?"
- is the singer being amazed that another human can be an enemy to the fox when if he met he/she in the street they wouldn't seem to be bad at all. He is asking why that should be. (Why do people kill foxes??)

"Could there be, a more heavenly artifact?
As pure as that?"
- Is the singer expressing the beauty and purity of the fox.

The fifth verse:

"I am now as giant as the sun I used to love."
- Is the fox explaining the feeling of passing to spirit.

"My limbs are shoots springing forth I am
Impossible and black, and I can feel the gravity rushing into me."
- is the fox describing how he was eventually killed and the feeling of dying.

...the fox's fur of course ends up being worn...

"I feel a pull on my fur and a
A hundred tiny hands
I can feel the men and the women clamber on.
They will embrace me tonight as a
A father and a son,"
- is the fox saying that humans will embrace him tonight as a father and a son (the fox is a father and a son)

"and I will carry homo-sapiens through the night."
- is a way of saying that the fur coat that the fox now is will 'carry' evolved apes through the night - in terms of status or social stature.

(homo-sapien* is a way to describe humans as the evolved ape family)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human

...

"I am but a hole in the fabric of the scene"
- is the singer feeling like his inaction in the murder scene left a hole in the event so to speak. The singer feels that he left a hole - and if he had filled that hole maybe he could have made a difference. (Fabric refers to the fur the fox now is)

"I was but a drop in the ocean all along."
- is the singer saying to the fox that he was so insignificant and that any hope of him saving the fox was like a drop in the ocean. I.e. he is very small in comparison to what was needed. He is feeling the need to explain why he did not save the fox.

A beautiful song such as this was needed to convey such powerful important lyrics.

Everything Everything are everything.

Amen.

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