I like your analysis Remy, but to me, Wilkinson's statement in this song seems to be much more positive than that kind of satire...
Throughout he describes how he "Likes to see" hard (usually man-made) objects being made less rigid and formalised by the natural action of common people. If anything he foregrounds the inherent and innocent beauty of human behaviour;
the 'stone steps' are made more variegated and become 'bowed' (a word positive in connotations: it is now like a hammock, a pliable branch, or at least a cushioning structure - and even evokes a pretty bow itself)
again the crucial thing is that he 'Likes to see' dirt paths cutting corners. Instead of assuming he is being satirical about it, a face-value deconstruction of this line is surely positive isn't it? it highlights how many people can find more direct ways of getting to where they want to go without having to stick to the pre-laid, square-path roads laid down to suit our society.
with this in mind, the scraped notches in the wall may be sad in that they point to a lonely life, but to me the fact that "they recorded every end of working day" is life-affirming; they are the record that someone determinedly overcame each 'working day'. Every one of those marks would represent a day of a life spent by someone who used to inhabit that same space that the speaker finds himself in - a comfort is derived from this.
again the 'fumble marks' show how the natural act of 'human error', if you like, can leave reminders of human life itself
... something that strongly reinforces this whole positive notion is that the wedding ring is foregrounded in the final line. The wedding ring (an object that strongly stands for the unity of humans through love) has left lasting scratches on the rigid railing - not the other way around.
So in broad terms, I think he is saying that human abrasion is a comforting thing to him - these 'blemishes' are a constant reminder that human life leaves a lasting mark on this world. The fact he uses 'scuffing soles' is a good indicator of this, if you hear that phrase as a homophone i.e. 'scuffing souls', it emphasises the power of human conscience to literally shape the world.
I like your analysis Remy, but to me, Wilkinson's statement in this song seems to be much more positive than that kind of satire...
Throughout he describes how he "Likes to see" hard (usually man-made) objects being made less rigid and formalised by the natural action of common people. If anything he foregrounds the inherent and innocent beauty of human behaviour;
So in broad terms, I think he is saying that human abrasion is a comforting thing to him - these 'blemishes' are a constant reminder that human life leaves a lasting mark on this world. The fact he uses 'scuffing soles' is a good indicator of this, if you hear that phrase as a homophone i.e. 'scuffing souls', it emphasises the power of human conscience to literally shape the world.