Can't Run But

The song is about how society tries to run towards what is thought to be progress, but we lose our humanity in some sense. "The food we contemplate", "The woman was laughing in advance", "The music suffers" are all pieces of poerty about losing our humanity... This is an amazing song.

these posts are proving noone knows about paul simons most concept album that proved to be his best.

thank you JK22. Even if this is nothing more than PS proving his intelligence, it still outguns Graceland and almost anything else in popular music.

ya this song hits you... I absolutely love the way he sings, "The music suffers, baby The music business thrives" ... is tihs whole album this good? I only heard this off of his anthology (along with Thelma) and love those two songs

this song is about the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in '86 in the Soviet Union

ooooh this is one of my favourites. there's that chromatic run on, i dont know what it is, something like a xylophone? that's the best! although, i confess im very confused about what it all means.

This is my least favorite song on this album. I can't deny the lyrics are well-crafted, but the tune seems so...annoying to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm one of his biggest fans of all time, but this one bugs.

I think it's a song about the fact we could all do better for humanity - we don't have to be geniuses but we could do better. I think the first verse is relating to the environment - the 'new rain' meaning acid rain caused by sulphur dioxide from the burning of oil (hence the Ukraine). Maybe the second verse is to do with society becoming less discrete and more brash regarding sex in society. Third verse could be the constant squeeze of capitalism in the name of efficiency, meaning the arts and the soul suffer.

Absolutely cracking song whatever you make of it.

I'm not perfect, but I can do better. I mean, can't I?

Can I?

-Pie

I agree with another commenter that life is so fucked up in that people are losing their humanity. Whereas one gives another takes. Whereas one suffers another enjoys what the other is suffering of. So fucked up the way give and take is not in balance .Paul Simon is freaking lyrical genius.