This song is almost certainly a reference to Franz Kafka's book "The Metamorphosis." In the play, Gregor Samsa, who is incredibly overworked wakes up one morning to find that he has been transformed into a giant cockroach.
Like the opening line of the song, Gregor's initial concern is his inability to speak and therefore answer when his parents and boss come to his door. He also cannot open the locked door for him.
Throughout the story, Gregor discovers that he can find solace through climbing on the walls of his room. He also realizes that he doesn't really need any of his old things, and would be happier in an empty room, hence the lines about getting rid of his old junk.
Finally, the last verse speaks of how people (i.e. Gregor's family) "talk a lot, but they don't know." This refers to his family's constant discussions about him that regarding him as completely unintelligent, while in reality he has retained all of his cognitive function. They don't realize how deep his deprivation of human contact has eaten away at him by the end of the book.
It is not unlikely that They Might Be Giants would write a song about a book by Kafka. They have a habit of writing intellectual songs, and songs referring to literature.
This song is almost certainly a reference to Franz Kafka's book "The Metamorphosis." In the play, Gregor Samsa, who is incredibly overworked wakes up one morning to find that he has been transformed into a giant cockroach.
Like the opening line of the song, Gregor's initial concern is his inability to speak and therefore answer when his parents and boss come to his door. He also cannot open the locked door for him.
Throughout the story, Gregor discovers that he can find solace through climbing on the walls of his room. He also realizes that he doesn't really need any of his old things, and would be happier in an empty room, hence the lines about getting rid of his old junk.
Finally, the last verse speaks of how people (i.e. Gregor's family) "talk a lot, but they don't know." This refers to his family's constant discussions about him that regarding him as completely unintelligent, while in reality he has retained all of his cognitive function. They don't realize how deep his deprivation of human contact has eaten away at him by the end of the book.
It is not unlikely that They Might Be Giants would write a song about a book by Kafka. They have a habit of writing intellectual songs, and songs referring to literature.