I think he's trying to draw an implied contrast between the peace beneath the city (i.e., six feet underground) and the strife within the city (where "city" may or may not mean an actual city).
Notice also how the women in this song are all sort of secretive or private, always acting or outwardly displaying stereotypically shallow, "womanly" attitudes but secretly containing these noble, thoughtful hopes. I think this is supposed to reflect their inability to help or protect or at least talk some sense into the men around them. They know that something's wrong, hence the plaintative "give me"s, but they also know they don't have the power to fix it.
(someone help me with this next part, it doesn't seem right yet) I think the Japanese cars are supposed to reflect a disillusionment with American ways of thinking - cars in particular have a strong American history, but recently everyone else has passed the U.S. up, so I think "give me a Japanese car" is another way of saying "give me something American that doesn't come from the same mental processes that make the death of my sons/brothers/husbands the only way for them to find peace."
I think he's trying to draw an implied contrast between the peace beneath the city (i.e., six feet underground) and the strife within the city (where "city" may or may not mean an actual city).
Notice also how the women in this song are all sort of secretive or private, always acting or outwardly displaying stereotypically shallow, "womanly" attitudes but secretly containing these noble, thoughtful hopes. I think this is supposed to reflect their inability to help or protect or at least talk some sense into the men around them. They know that something's wrong, hence the plaintative "give me"s, but they also know they don't have the power to fix it.
(someone help me with this next part, it doesn't seem right yet) I think the Japanese cars are supposed to reflect a disillusionment with American ways of thinking - cars in particular have a strong American history, but recently everyone else has passed the U.S. up, so I think "give me a Japanese car" is another way of saying "give me something American that doesn't come from the same mental processes that make the death of my sons/brothers/husbands the only way for them to find peace."