"The song is not about celebrating the vacuousness of idle teen Euro-louts... it's a melancholic observation of a middle aged man who no longer understand his surroundings and, in particular, can no longer communicate with with his son who IS a shallow product of the times.
The second verse deliberately blurs the narrative's POV between the father and son; the third verse is about the son. The chorus is... irony and loss.
Lifted from the Ultravox.org.uk forum:
"The song is not about celebrating the vacuousness of idle teen Euro-louts... it's a melancholic observation of a middle aged man who no longer understand his surroundings and, in particular, can no longer communicate with with his son who IS a shallow product of the times.
The second verse deliberately blurs the narrative's POV between the father and son; the third verse is about the son. The chorus is... irony and loss.
There. Now I've spoiled it!
Best wishes,
Warren Cann"
Well, wasn't it obvious?
Well, wasn't it obvious?
Not necessarily, smartarse.
Not necessarily, smartarse.