I've loved this album since it was released in 1992 and although I've often replayed it, I only got to thinking about the meaning to this track after seeing FNM at Donington Park in 2009 when I was revising the lyric content of all their albums for a good old sing-along. To be honest, I don't think this track was politically motivated. The lyrics run a parallel between money and procreation for it's entirety and seem to leave a mystery as to why their son was 'counterfeit', especially as just previously he made them 'proud' and 'rich'. So here's my social topic take... finalising with my own political alternative to keep in with the thread-
The offspring of the couple is everything his parents wanted him to be; just like them, smart and ambitious with a need to have a family. Now, whether he has the family or not is the contentious point of the track, --or so I believe. Earlier I said that a parallel was drawn between money and procreation, but also in the lyrics they both stand separate. So, he gave his parents something to be proud of, that might be ambition/money, and the richness? Again, could be ambition/money... or grandchildren. They refer to him as 'a shiny copper penny' but then say 'of course he must invest' -but- 'a penny won't do', so they want him to have a big family--possibly? So as to the counterfeit? Well... he either turns out to be infertile or more likely, just gay. And they just can't settle it with their reputation/family dreams, ergo 'everything's ruined, yea-hare'.
If it is political, I think it has to refer to Cuba being the offspring of the old USSR's dreams of a widened communist family.
That's my idea anyway. You'll have to excuse me now... I'm off to scratch my feet!!
I've loved this album since it was released in 1992 and although I've often replayed it, I only got to thinking about the meaning to this track after seeing FNM at Donington Park in 2009 when I was revising the lyric content of all their albums for a good old sing-along. To be honest, I don't think this track was politically motivated. The lyrics run a parallel between money and procreation for it's entirety and seem to leave a mystery as to why their son was 'counterfeit', especially as just previously he made them 'proud' and 'rich'. So here's my social topic take... finalising with my own political alternative to keep in with the thread-
The offspring of the couple is everything his parents wanted him to be; just like them, smart and ambitious with a need to have a family. Now, whether he has the family or not is the contentious point of the track, --or so I believe. Earlier I said that a parallel was drawn between money and procreation, but also in the lyrics they both stand separate. So, he gave his parents something to be proud of, that might be ambition/money, and the richness? Again, could be ambition/money... or grandchildren. They refer to him as 'a shiny copper penny' but then say 'of course he must invest' -but- 'a penny won't do', so they want him to have a big family--possibly? So as to the counterfeit? Well... he either turns out to be infertile or more likely, just gay. And they just can't settle it with their reputation/family dreams, ergo 'everything's ruined, yea-hare'.
If it is political, I think it has to refer to Cuba being the offspring of the old USSR's dreams of a widened communist family.
That's my idea anyway. You'll have to excuse me now... I'm off to scratch my feet!!