Tin (The Manhole)

I agree with some of the above, mainly the ideas by shanefglynn.

In addition it seems clear to me that the lyrics:

"I'll be the fox by the road I am"

• is the singer explaining to us that he is putting himself in the 'shoes' of the fox.

"And I am almost up to the shoulders of a horse."

• is the fox describing being dangled by the person who captured it who is riding on a horse.

Also:

"Little Sea Anemone, pool of rocks"

• is the singer describing the 'pool' of broken bones in the fox's shell which is now like a sea anemone (without bones).

"Why'd you see, an enemy I cannot?"

• is the singer being amazed that another human can be an enemy to the fox when if he met he/she in the street they wouldn't seem to be bad at all. He is asking why that should be. (Why do people kill foxes??)

"Could there be, a more heavenly artifact? As pure as that?"

• Is the singer expressing the beauty and purity of the fox.

The fifth verse:

"I am now as giant as the sun I used to love."

• Is the fox explaining the feeling of passing to spirit.

"My limbs are shoots springing forth I am Impossible and black, and I can feel the gravity rushing into me."

• is the fox describing how he was eventually killed and the feeling of dying.

...the fox's fur of course ends up being worn...

"I feel a pull on my fur and a A hundred tiny hands I can feel the men and the women clamber on. They will embrace me tonight as a A father and a son,"

• is the fox saying that humans will embrace him tonight as a father and a son (the fox is a father and a son)

"and I will carry homo-sapiens through the night."

• is a way of saying that the fur coat that the fox now is will 'carry' evolved apes through the night - in terms of status or social stature.

(homo-sapien* is a way to describe humans as the evolved ape family) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human

...

"I am but a hole in the fabric of the scene"

• is the singer feeling like his inaction in the murder scene left a hole in the event so to speak. The singer feels that he left a hole - and if he had filled that hole maybe he could have made a difference. (Fabric refers to the fur the fox now is)

"I was but a drop in the ocean all along."

• is the singer saying to the fox that he was so insignificant and that any hope of him saving the fox was like a drop in the ocean. I.e. he is very small in comparison to what was needed. He is feeling the need to explain why he did not save the fox.

A beautiful song such as this was needed to convey such powerful important lyrics.

Everything Everything are everything.

Amen.