Cause

Very much like his other song, "This is not a song; it's an outburst" I feel this is a very general depiction of the shallowness or more specifically the 'funny' things of life. The first line that draws multiple interpretations just from myself is... "And I talked to Jesus at the sewer, And the Pope said it was none of his God-damned business". If I had to guess it is either that the real right and wrong defined by an individual for that individual is somehow overruled by history and/or the established hierarchy (And possibly morality). The more literal interpretation would be the Church's (and all those in power really) abuse of power and the act of ignoring the "bottom feeders". "While the rain drank champagne" An obvious link to the adverse effects this shallow world has had on the writer (turned him into an alcoholic). "My Estonian Archangel came and got me wasted" A reference to a friend of Rodriguez from Estonia, I would say he earns his title as an archangel for taking him out of his hell and into heaven by getting wasted, even though it is only temporary. "'Cause the sweetest kiss I ever got is the one I've never tasted Oh but they'll take their bonus pay to Molly McDonald" Although I have no idea who or what Molly McDonald is I think these two lines are intertwined. It would appear to remark on the nature of man for pursuing/needing more and always taking for granted. The best kiss (or generally experience) is to come and their bonus pay is sacrificed to someone else for presumably something else (I really am not sure about the Molly McDonald line though). "Neon ladies, beauty is that which obeys, is bought or borrowed" I personally interpreted this as a reference to the conformitive (I think I may have just made that word up) nature that the pursuit of beauty forces. "Neon Ladies" is probably a reference to the shallow and materialistic nature of humans. Of course it could very easily be the general control aesthetics have over our society. "Cause my heart's become a crooked hotel full of rumors" I'm quite unsure on this one. Again, if I had to guess I would say it is the unstable (Crooked) and temporary (hotel) nature of his love. "But it's I who pays the rent for these fingered-face out-of-tuners" I'm not sure what "fingered-face out-of-tuners" means exactly but I would think the entire line is his way of saying either it is he who almost willingly encourages this by paying the rent and therefore sabotages himself or it is another way of saying it is he who suffers. I would argue for the former. "And I make sixteen solid half hour friendships every evening" Every relationship (intimate or friendly) he makes is shallow and possibly temporary. He makes fun of the shallow nature by calling them "SOLID half our friendships". "'Cause your queen of hearts who is half a stone And likes to laugh alone is always threatening you with leaving" I find this line almost comedic. I'm not sure if my interpretation is correct but I think he is pointing out how someone's Queen of Hearts (partner and owner of your love) is in fact weighing them down and finds satisfaction independently yet still threatens them with leaving thus keeping them in eternal suffering (Obviously they'd be better alone but this self-sabotaging nature appears to be a reoccurring theme). "And give a medal to replace the son of Mrs. Annie Johnson" Without knowing who Annie Johnson or her son are my best guess is that is a scenario in which a mother has lost her son to war and has been given his medal of honour for his sacrifice but Rodriguez comments on this action negatively by using the word 'replace' to comment on the transfer. Of course the medal can never replace the son and we know the mother will be left empty. He moves straight onto... "Cause they told me everybody's got to pay their dues And I explained that I had overpaid them". Pointing out the justification made by everyone for the suffering and is a general comment on the lack of justice and fairness. "So overdued I went to the company store And the clerk there said that they had just been invaded So I set sail in a teardrop and escaped beneath the doorsill" Referencing his previous line he is commenting on the fact that he has overpaid his dues and so he seeks his reward (perhaps the wrong word but you know what I mean) but he doesn't get anything because it has all been taken and there is nothing left for him so he left in sadness and "escaped through the doorsill" (your guess is as good as mine on that one but I would say it is a psychedelic way of saying he feels small and insignificant). "'Cause the smell of her perfume echoes in my head still" This line is interesting because the sweetest kiss he ever got was the one he never tasted yet he is haunted by a lover from the past. This seems to be a reflection on man's doomed state due to its nostalgic tortures and shallow lures. "'Cause I see my people trying to drown the sun In weekends of whiskey sours" Not too sure but perhaps people are trying to escape their reality through drunken states or even escape this world via suicide (The sun in this case being a symbol of life) in a drunk state. "Cause how many times can you wake up in this comic book and plant flowers?" Many interpretations can be had from this line, personally I feel he is questioning the repetitive nature of mankind acting out segments in a comic book before giving/planting new life for the cycle to be repeated.