I see the first verse as portraying an actress who feels jaded about her art - e.g. "getting dolled up for a suicide" as getting dressed up for a performance that will fail, even though the crowd seems to love it and applauds 'til morning. I do also like TheSFletcher's interpretation about the girl killing herself to get attention and the applause meaning others are happy to see her die (or at least, she sees others as being happy to see her die).
Verse two is pretty confusing, mainly because of the unknown historical references and the general anachronism of semaphores vs. TV's and video recorders. I really haven't got a clue there.
Verse three seems to me about a boy who's recently become an adult, going out into the world without his parents to guide him anymore. "Carrying his mom on his back" means carrying the memory of her, the things she taught him, etc. "The woods" refers to the uncertainty of adult life, but she's proud of him because he's "staying on track" and managing well for himself. However, the son still feels bad about leaving the mom, as when he imagines her crying out for calamine - I'm guessing the son used to nurse her when he still lived with her. Therefore the son is left with guilt that he can't care for her anymore. I guess it doesn't make sense that he WOULDN'T know why he was sad to say goodbye, but I guess it's because becoming independent is supposed to be seen as a generally happy event.
The common thread holding these tales together is that all the characters "don't know why" they feel a certain way, or else others don't know why someone else feels a certain way, whether it be pursuing a career one sees as failing, becoming upset over a war(?), or becoming sad to leave a parent. However, the speaker "doesn't mind" these feelings, which connotes an attitude of acceptance. So maybe Colin is saying that everyone experiences feelings that are inexplicable or inappropriate for a situation, but ultimately it doesn't matter, because these unexplainable feelings are felt by all at one point or another. Basically, it's alright. He doesn't mind.
I see the first verse as portraying an actress who feels jaded about her art - e.g. "getting dolled up for a suicide" as getting dressed up for a performance that will fail, even though the crowd seems to love it and applauds 'til morning. I do also like TheSFletcher's interpretation about the girl killing herself to get attention and the applause meaning others are happy to see her die (or at least, she sees others as being happy to see her die).
Verse two is pretty confusing, mainly because of the unknown historical references and the general anachronism of semaphores vs. TV's and video recorders. I really haven't got a clue there.
Verse three seems to me about a boy who's recently become an adult, going out into the world without his parents to guide him anymore. "Carrying his mom on his back" means carrying the memory of her, the things she taught him, etc. "The woods" refers to the uncertainty of adult life, but she's proud of him because he's "staying on track" and managing well for himself. However, the son still feels bad about leaving the mom, as when he imagines her crying out for calamine - I'm guessing the son used to nurse her when he still lived with her. Therefore the son is left with guilt that he can't care for her anymore. I guess it doesn't make sense that he WOULDN'T know why he was sad to say goodbye, but I guess it's because becoming independent is supposed to be seen as a generally happy event.
The common thread holding these tales together is that all the characters "don't know why" they feel a certain way, or else others don't know why someone else feels a certain way, whether it be pursuing a career one sees as failing, becoming upset over a war(?), or becoming sad to leave a parent. However, the speaker "doesn't mind" these feelings, which connotes an attitude of acceptance. So maybe Colin is saying that everyone experiences feelings that are inexplicable or inappropriate for a situation, but ultimately it doesn't matter, because these unexplainable feelings are felt by all at one point or another. Basically, it's alright. He doesn't mind.
That's my $.02, anyway.