First of all, Matt Johnson is a superb writer, and to The The's credit, an incredible vocalist to boot. This song highlights both of those talents.
It's a sarcastic song about that adolescent sting of self-importance. It's all really self-explanatory really, which is why it's such a brilliantly written song. The way Matt sings "I'm just a symptom of the moral decay that's gnawing at the heart of the[...]" implies a sense of defeat and self-deprecation; yeah, that's the way we feel sometimes, but it's total bullshit. The same feeling is carried when he pauses in the word "despair," he gives the listener an opportunity to take in the sarcasm and appreciate his wit.
First of all, Matt Johnson is a superb writer, and to The The's credit, an incredible vocalist to boot. This song highlights both of those talents.
It's a sarcastic song about that adolescent sting of self-importance. It's all really self-explanatory really, which is why it's such a brilliantly written song. The way Matt sings "I'm just a symptom of the moral decay that's gnawing at the heart of the[...]" implies a sense of defeat and self-deprecation; yeah, that's the way we feel sometimes, but it's total bullshit. The same feeling is carried when he pauses in the word "despair," he gives the listener an opportunity to take in the sarcasm and appreciate his wit.