I probably read into this song but I always liked it... I figured Fifi was an insignificant character but he was learning a useful craft; baking buns, while John sat around talking about guns. Sitting around talking about guns could be considered a useless pursuit, and some may consider guns potentially harmful. Christopher (Columbus) asked the astronomer if he could see beyond the visible sea to where the sun has gone; to what was he about to sail into? Two people, Fifi and Christopher, doing/learning something useful, both in a big way and a small way, while John the rain dancer, is doing something useless.
I probably read into this song but I always liked it... I figured Fifi was an insignificant character but he was learning a useful craft; baking buns, while John sat around talking about guns. Sitting around talking about guns could be considered a useless pursuit, and some may consider guns potentially harmful. Christopher (Columbus) asked the astronomer if he could see beyond the visible sea to where the sun has gone; to what was he about to sail into? Two people, Fifi and Christopher, doing/learning something useful, both in a big way and a small way, while John the rain dancer, is doing something useless.