Oh What a World

This was inspired by the Wicked Witch of the West's death as well as Rufus's experience on a train, just observing. I think this song is mostly about observing things around you and contemplating your past, present, and future.

From his website: "I wrote this on the train from Paris to London at the tail end of the Poses tour, and I was very numb. It’s about looking at the world and seeing what’s actually there, not feeling either good or bad about it, just feeling apart. I was grasping at some kind of mantra – like, even though the world is a strange place, you’re still on the train, you paid for your ticket, and it’s going to arrive at some point. There are a lot of trains on this album."

"Men reading fashion magazines Oh what a world It seems we live in Straight man"

reminds me a little of the current trend of the 'metrosexual.'

i sort of love rufus wainwright, and since i was a little kid, i've loved bolero. it's so... great, literally, when it connects in the end, like a big symphony.

I love the baseline in this how it just seems so 'Ho Hum.' There is the sound of something like a chain-gang trudging along. It reminds me of the opening scene in Les Miserables.

i remember someone telling me that he travelled around a lot as a kid?

I think the pause after 'straight men' is more of a comedic pause. Especially live.

i heard a live version (from a dvd, i guess) in which after "straight men" rufus says "right" (like in "yeah, right"). it's quite amusing.

Wouldn't it be a lovely headline "Life is beautiful" on the New York Times

Love that line. This whole song just has a great feel to it, I love it.