by far my absolute favourite on the album. anyway, when i read the lyrics i felt that overall the song is a summarization of discontentment with society, mainly american culture. "they don't want poets, they want pigeons on a stool" and "goodbye valedictorians, goodbye punks" i thought to mean that society doesn't put much value on intelligence and rebels because society just wants drones to keep the machine going. "..you can't be in politics and work in the circus, you have to choose just one, you hold the nail i'll swing the hammer, that's how things get done" i thought to mean that careerism really deprives people of creativity and we all have to be just one thing our entire lives at the behest of those who benefit from our choices, which are the people that strike the hammer down. the "devils in the detail, he's got your gold watch and chain" i thought can mean either that there are evils in daily life that we can't see because the watch and chain keep us hypnotized or that there are evils in culture that we'll do anything for because the demons hold a gold watch and chain, which can be an analogy for riches and wealth.
oh and the lyrics aren't 100% correct, it should be:
Whistle blowers gotta get outta school
They don't want poets
they want pigeons on a stool
You're examining fossils, defending criminals
I'm clock watching getting dumb
Photographing models for house painter solace
I'm like sisyphus in the sun
And I give up
Raising your kids America
You treat 'em like an obligation
Welcome to the occupation
The devil's in the details
devil's in the details
He's got your gold watch + chain
The devil's in the details
devil's in the details
He's got your gold watch + chain
Whistle blowers, we know how you feel
Public servants, surrender their free will
But you can't be in politics and work in the circus
You have to choose just one
You hold the nail, I'll swing the hammer
That's how things get done
And goodbye valedictorians goodbye punks
Goodbye valedictorians goodbye punks
And I give up
Raising your kids America
You treat 'em like an obligation
Welcome to the occupation
The devil's in the details
The devil's in the details
He's got your gold watch + chain
The devil's in the details
Devil's in the details
Got your gold watch + chain
by far my absolute favourite on the album. anyway, when i read the lyrics i felt that overall the song is a summarization of discontentment with society, mainly american culture. "they don't want poets, they want pigeons on a stool" and "goodbye valedictorians, goodbye punks" i thought to mean that society doesn't put much value on intelligence and rebels because society just wants drones to keep the machine going. "..you can't be in politics and work in the circus, you have to choose just one, you hold the nail i'll swing the hammer, that's how things get done" i thought to mean that careerism really deprives people of creativity and we all have to be just one thing our entire lives at the behest of those who benefit from our choices, which are the people that strike the hammer down. the "devils in the detail, he's got your gold watch and chain" i thought can mean either that there are evils in daily life that we can't see because the watch and chain keep us hypnotized or that there are evils in culture that we'll do anything for because the demons hold a gold watch and chain, which can be an analogy for riches and wealth.
oh and the lyrics aren't 100% correct, it should be:
Whistle blowers gotta get outta school They don't want poets they want pigeons on a stool You're examining fossils, defending criminals I'm clock watching getting dumb Photographing models for house painter solace I'm like sisyphus in the sun
And I give up Raising your kids America You treat 'em like an obligation Welcome to the occupation
The devil's in the details devil's in the details He's got your gold watch + chain The devil's in the details devil's in the details He's got your gold watch + chain
Whistle blowers, we know how you feel Public servants, surrender their free will But you can't be in politics and work in the circus You have to choose just one You hold the nail, I'll swing the hammer That's how things get done And goodbye valedictorians goodbye punks Goodbye valedictorians goodbye punks
And I give up Raising your kids America You treat 'em like an obligation Welcome to the occupation
The devil's in the details The devil's in the details He's got your gold watch + chain The devil's in the details Devil's in the details Got your gold watch + chain