seems like there's two naratives. the critic's (in all likelihood, basically the real voice of gordon) and that of his resistant adversary.
so - ok,
"Spring starts when a heartbeat's pounding
When the birds can be heard above the reckoning carts doing some final accounting
Lava flowing in Superfarmer's direction
He's been getting reprieve from the heat in the frozen-food section"
this is gordon's voice. so spring starts with birds, but that they're being heard amidst the sound of this "reckoning"/"accounting" of our impact to nature itself. likely carts really means cars. they're noisy and fit the context that way but also represent the impact that we're having in pushing back nature. the word "final" in this is pretty ominous, and i'm sure it's meant to be that way.
lava flowing in superfarmers direction. generally, farmers are on the wrong side of a lot of scary trends. basically implies the erosion of the land via overall nutritional decline in the soil from overfarming and possibly desertification, global warming, gene narrowing in general and the problems associated with it, and economic pressure from global food trading and attacks from the wto on farm subsidies in western countries. their reprieve is beautifully sychronized with the other metaphor - the lava - in the frozen foods section of the supermarket. selling what they can now before any of these eroding trends take hold.
"Don't tell me what the poets are doing
Don't tell me that they're talking tough
Don't tell me that they're anti-social
Somehow not anti-social enough "
so ya, i believe (with the exception of the last line) that this is his adversary / sarcastic voice. basically saying, "don't worry about it" or a general "i don't want to hear it". the line about anti-social however... i believe that this is a play on words. i believe he's actually saying they're socially critical. this makes the fourth line look probably a lot less sarcastic with him saying that the social critics aren't even critical enough. an important statement in this song i feel.
"And porn speaks to its splintered legions
To the pink amid the withered cornstalks in them winter regions
While aiming at the archetypal father
He says with such broad and tentative swipes "Why do you even bother?" "
this is a different trend he's taking on... pornography. you might be able to say he's describing an overall lack of importance to fidelity in our society or more simply how it too is eroding. splintered legions is kind of funny. it's not as though people are openly supporting porn. the archetypal father though... "why do you even bother" to try to find your wife as a sex object when porn is what turns you on. although the attacks aren't necessarily only there. the "broad swipes" also come in the form of the other criticisms he has to his role in society - particularly from other forms of social criticism on the whole. like if we're destroying nature and eroding the land via overfarming etc, then what of the people that want to be good, upstanding people? and again, the "why do you even bother" rings true although i don't believe he would mean it literally - only insofar as it incites action.
"Don't tell me what the poets are doing
Those Himalayas of the mind
Don't tell me what the poets are doing
In the long grasses over time..."
chorus again, although "those himalayas of the mind" sounds pretty crazy. it's like double sarcasm. probably feels good singing it lol. it's a little different though in that he's sort of saying, "don't tell me what it is you predict for the future". words like "long" imply that the adversary/sarcastic voice believes it's a long way's out and may have an irrelevant tone.
"Don't tell me what the poets are doing
On the street and the epitome of vague
Don't tell me how the universe is altered
When you find out how he gets paid "
the sarcastic tone criticizes the critics for being vague. typically a lot of social criticism comes out in the form of vague statements. "we're eroding the land", "this pollution is destroying us", or "our politicians are corrupt" or whatever. which isn't to say that examples don't exist - but it does tend to spiral towards that infinite conversation you'll never have.
what he says in the 3rd and 4th lines is one of the more common criticisms people have in regards to corruption or biased influence. basically why lobbyists and lobbying companies exist - because of the results they get. this is the voice of that guy that just wants to be left alone - which brings us to the last bit.
"If there's nothing more that you need now
Lawn cut by bare-breasted women
Beach bleached, towels within reach for the women gotta make it
That'll make it by swimming "
basically he's saying fuck you to that guy. take your complacency and denial and pampered life and fuck off.
my take...
seems like there's two naratives. the critic's (in all likelihood, basically the real voice of gordon) and that of his resistant adversary.
so - ok,
"Spring starts when a heartbeat's pounding When the birds can be heard above the reckoning carts doing some final accounting Lava flowing in Superfarmer's direction He's been getting reprieve from the heat in the frozen-food section"
this is gordon's voice. so spring starts with birds, but that they're being heard amidst the sound of this "reckoning"/"accounting" of our impact to nature itself. likely carts really means cars. they're noisy and fit the context that way but also represent the impact that we're having in pushing back nature. the word "final" in this is pretty ominous, and i'm sure it's meant to be that way.
lava flowing in superfarmers direction. generally, farmers are on the wrong side of a lot of scary trends. basically implies the erosion of the land via overall nutritional decline in the soil from overfarming and possibly desertification, global warming, gene narrowing in general and the problems associated with it, and economic pressure from global food trading and attacks from the wto on farm subsidies in western countries. their reprieve is beautifully sychronized with the other metaphor - the lava - in the frozen foods section of the supermarket. selling what they can now before any of these eroding trends take hold.
"Don't tell me what the poets are doing Don't tell me that they're talking tough Don't tell me that they're anti-social Somehow not anti-social enough "
so ya, i believe (with the exception of the last line) that this is his adversary / sarcastic voice. basically saying, "don't worry about it" or a general "i don't want to hear it". the line about anti-social however... i believe that this is a play on words. i believe he's actually saying they're socially critical. this makes the fourth line look probably a lot less sarcastic with him saying that the social critics aren't even critical enough. an important statement in this song i feel.
"And porn speaks to its splintered legions To the pink amid the withered cornstalks in them winter regions While aiming at the archetypal father He says with such broad and tentative swipes "Why do you even bother?" "
this is a different trend he's taking on... pornography. you might be able to say he's describing an overall lack of importance to fidelity in our society or more simply how it too is eroding. splintered legions is kind of funny. it's not as though people are openly supporting porn. the archetypal father though... "why do you even bother" to try to find your wife as a sex object when porn is what turns you on. although the attacks aren't necessarily only there. the "broad swipes" also come in the form of the other criticisms he has to his role in society - particularly from other forms of social criticism on the whole. like if we're destroying nature and eroding the land via overfarming etc, then what of the people that want to be good, upstanding people? and again, the "why do you even bother" rings true although i don't believe he would mean it literally - only insofar as it incites action.
"Don't tell me what the poets are doing Those Himalayas of the mind Don't tell me what the poets are doing In the long grasses over time..."
chorus again, although "those himalayas of the mind" sounds pretty crazy. it's like double sarcasm. probably feels good singing it lol. it's a little different though in that he's sort of saying, "don't tell me what it is you predict for the future". words like "long" imply that the adversary/sarcastic voice believes it's a long way's out and may have an irrelevant tone.
"Don't tell me what the poets are doing On the street and the epitome of vague Don't tell me how the universe is altered When you find out how he gets paid "
the sarcastic tone criticizes the critics for being vague. typically a lot of social criticism comes out in the form of vague statements. "we're eroding the land", "this pollution is destroying us", or "our politicians are corrupt" or whatever. which isn't to say that examples don't exist - but it does tend to spiral towards that infinite conversation you'll never have.
what he says in the 3rd and 4th lines is one of the more common criticisms people have in regards to corruption or biased influence. basically why lobbyists and lobbying companies exist - because of the results they get. this is the voice of that guy that just wants to be left alone - which brings us to the last bit.
"If there's nothing more that you need now Lawn cut by bare-breasted women Beach bleached, towels within reach for the women gotta make it That'll make it by swimming "
basically he's saying fuck you to that guy. take your complacency and denial and pampered life and fuck off.