Feed Them to the 5 Lions (Linden) Lyrics

Lyric discussion by fante 

Cover art for Feed Them to the 5 Lions (Linden) lyrics by Pavement

I heard Steve Malkamus say that this song is about growing up in the Central Valley of California. As others have mentioned Linden is a small town outside Stockton where he grew up.

Water and football are both a big deal to the Central Valley which is one of the biggest agricultural regions in the world but is also basically desert without their extensive system of reservoirs and channels. I think that explains the reference to reservoirs and spillways and the fields turning yellow.