Well, the "41 thousand" is akin to Blue Oyster Cult's "40,000 men and women everyday", the number of people who die every day (roughly).
In this song, the lyricist is wondering if the education of her younger years has really prepared her for the grim knowledge of her adult life. It hasn't, except to show her the bare rudiments: flags, maps, and the ability to count up the destruction with simple arithmetic. This song is about the loss of innocence on an industrial scale.
Well, the "41 thousand" is akin to Blue Oyster Cult's "40,000 men and women everyday", the number of people who die every day (roughly).
In this song, the lyricist is wondering if the education of her younger years has really prepared her for the grim knowledge of her adult life. It hasn't, except to show her the bare rudiments: flags, maps, and the ability to count up the destruction with simple arithmetic. This song is about the loss of innocence on an industrial scale.