To the edge of the city see the little guys run
I hear spring is nice in Canada
Need a little less Jack and a little more Jill
You can have my stereo
I can lay like a dandy getting heavy in the sun
Take a love song and beautify
It's a game, it depends on who the ball gets tossed
It's the same ball anyway
You can play, you can pay the piper all night long
That's some good home cookin'
I can lay like a dandy getting heavy in the sun
Take a love song and beautify
To me, this song is about being drafted, or going to war.
Even the rats know when trouble's gonna fall....is saying that even the poor, the lowest of the low know when war/unfortunate things are coming and wish to flee just like everyone else.
The Canada reference would be to escape the draft/war.
In my opinion, the Jack and Jill thing is not any specific pointer to being gay or anything of that sort. He's commenting that there's mostly men in government and there needs to more women. He's saying maybe then there wouldn't be so many wars.
"Even though the race may never be won"...although war may not be stopped, we can still work on trying.
"You can have my stereo"...someone heading to war speaking to a friend or family member...and "that's some good home cookin'"...the soldier won't have any more of that in war.
War is the "game"...whoever has the ball tossed to them has to play the game, in other words be drafted and fight. No matter who the ball gets tossed to, it's still to take part in war.
you can play, pay the piper all night long.....you can go to war, or you can go to prison.
And then back to the part about opposing the war.
I think this song isn't "clearly" about anything. I think the key line is "I hear the words but the meaning gets lost." It refrences to different things going on in the world but always seems to disregard them with a random phrase; "good home cookin'" "you can have my stereo" "I hear spring is nice in Canada". Everyone is so caught up with what is going wrong and what needs to be changed that where's the time to relax? The speaker seems to be explaining this that "even though the race may never be won" (ie the bad will never go completely away) there is still the good in life that we must appreciate. So, pretty much, I agree with neotemplar.
Also, I don't think people really listen to the music. It is more than just the lyrics. The sound supports my idea more than any political one.
Finally, gay marriage? If you stretched Stretch Armstrong that long I'm pretty sure he would break and that disgusting ooze would spill out. I mean, come on. I think anyone with a brain can see that cannot be the meaning.
*politics
My take:
My take:
(1) Not about gay marriage. "Even the rats know the trouble's gonna come," of course, refers to the saying about rats leaving a sinking ship. Rats on ships go about their business ignoring pretty much everything that doesn't directly affect them. When something does affect them enough to leave, things are really in bad shape, seriously threatening everyone, all around. Gay marriage just isn't an issue of that magnitude in the US, (except maybe in the eyes of the anti-gay fundies, which the singer clearly isn't): it doesn't affect most people.
(1) Not about gay marriage. "Even the rats know the trouble's gonna come," of course, refers to the saying about rats leaving a sinking ship. Rats on ships go about their business ignoring pretty much everything that doesn't directly affect them. When something does affect them enough to leave, things are really in bad shape, seriously threatening everyone, all around. Gay marriage just isn't an issue of that magnitude in the US, (except maybe in the eyes of the anti-gay fundies, which the singer clearly isn't): it doesn't affect most people.
(2) Not about more women in...
(2) Not about more women in politics. If it were, the reference to "...the men up on capitol hill" would just be to capital hill.
(3) Definitely a reference to--at least--American military aggression in the world, and the problems that will end up causing Americans. "A little less Jack and a little more Jill" clearly means following our masculine, destructive instincts less and our nurturing, humane instincts more.
(4) The singer could be referring to more troubles than just military ones (drug laws, energy, global warming, etc.), but in any case he thinks our kinder, gentler neighbors to the north will handle things better or at least be a better place to hide from them. He figures he can't really change much by himself.
I think this song is about a lot of things. Mostly though, it's about sitting back and relaxing and not letting life get you down. I'll interpret a few lines:
"Even the rats know the trouble's gonna come To the edge of the city see the little guys run I hear spring is nice in Canada" Everyone knows that America has it's problems. Even the rats are fed up. The protagonist is imagining going to Canada because it might be better there.
"Maybe the men up on Capitol Hill Meed a little less Jack and a little more Jill" I read that line as, they need less (Jack as in alcohol) or recklessness, and more gentleness (as in a woman's touch)
"Even though the race may never be won I can lay like a dandy getting heavy in the sun Take a love song and beautify" -He may never be successful in this system, but he wants us to appreciate the beauty of a sunny day and realize that no matter how crazy life gets, it's the simple things that will keep you stable.
This is one of the best songs ever recorded in my opinion.
i really dont know it kinda seems that he is talking to a gurl he wants to marry propably because of the "thats some good home cookin'
It's clearly a politically motivated song. In so many words: Bush is sinking our battleship. The rats are always the first to know when the ship's going down.
The song seems to read like a how-to on chilling during a time of high political tension within the country.
good song...i discovered it on Guitar Hero
damn this song is a pain on expert in Guitar Hero. :P
does the MM stand for modest mouse in your name?
does the MM stand for modest mouse in your name?
The song is obviosuly about gay marriage. "I hear spring is nice in canada" is a referance to how gay couples go to canada to get married, as it is legal there. "Maybe the men up on capital hill need a little less Jack and a little more Jill" should be self explanitory to anybody with a brain.
And the expert chart for this on guitar hero is the best thing ever. Still can't 5 star it and I broke 200k >_
lol i so addicted to guitar hero!
ROCK ON!
(post script. love this song. me and my guy friends [yes, guys were saying this too], were saying that its a beautiful song. like the two minutes or so its beautiful sounding...we think )