To me, I don't know about you but this song is about either the drug trade or globalisation as the 'devil' (I agree with Fierce Bear its Devil swam a backstroke) who wears 'shiny cuff links' i.e. an affluent business man arrives and the 'Kids stand a chance': He makes his business deal and the local people and children can go rot in hell.
The fact that they're 'pin striped men of mourning' supports this idea that they are bringing with them death and destruction.
The third verse I believe is aimed at someone who believes that best answer to destroying the drug trade is by 'murdering the plants' and in doing so leaves the local economy ruined. Isn't this destruction of opium plantations going on in Afganistan at the moment?
The fourth and 5th verse kind of somes up how everyone's caught up in the drug trade and can't escape: Even though the rich business man who vaguely knows what he is doing is wrong ('I didn't like the business') is settled and his piilow is 'soft' He must still advance or carry on what he is doing because of outside pressures from gangs etc. As the pin stripe menin mourning (merely 'partners' in the greater dance) arrive possibly to collect the crop they discover that 'the paper's been shopt to pieces' Its been destroyed and the only people who truly suffer are the local people or 'the children'.
Overall I'd say this song was about the battle between rich businessmen and distant people's good intentions and the only people who lose out are the actual producers stuck in the middle.
I love this song one of my favourite Vampire Weekend Songs- i love the way its written from the eyes of someone who makes no oppinion on what's going on, possibly one of the uncomprehending workers? The song is so clever as it puts quite a melancholy meanings against a quite cheerful lyrics against an even more cheerful song!
To me, I don't know about you but this song is about either the drug trade or globalisation as the 'devil' (I agree with Fierce Bear its Devil swam a backstroke) who wears 'shiny cuff links' i.e. an affluent business man arrives and the 'Kids stand a chance': He makes his business deal and the local people and children can go rot in hell.
The fact that they're 'pin striped men of mourning' supports this idea that they are bringing with them death and destruction.
The third verse I believe is aimed at someone who believes that best answer to destroying the drug trade is by 'murdering the plants' and in doing so leaves the local economy ruined. Isn't this destruction of opium plantations going on in Afganistan at the moment?
The fourth and 5th verse kind of somes up how everyone's caught up in the drug trade and can't escape: Even though the rich business man who vaguely knows what he is doing is wrong ('I didn't like the business') is settled and his piilow is 'soft' He must still advance or carry on what he is doing because of outside pressures from gangs etc. As the pin stripe menin mourning (merely 'partners' in the greater dance) arrive possibly to collect the crop they discover that 'the paper's been shopt to pieces' Its been destroyed and the only people who truly suffer are the local people or 'the children'.
Overall I'd say this song was about the battle between rich businessmen and distant people's good intentions and the only people who lose out are the actual producers stuck in the middle. I love this song one of my favourite Vampire Weekend Songs- i love the way its written from the eyes of someone who makes no oppinion on what's going on, possibly one of the uncomprehending workers? The song is so clever as it puts quite a melancholy meanings against a quite cheerful lyrics against an even more cheerful song!
I hope someone agrees with me :)
if you look on their website, it's "a devastating backstroke" and it's not pin-striped men of "mourning," but "morning"
if you look on their website, it's "a devastating backstroke" and it's not pin-striped men of "mourning," but "morning"