I believe that the opening is definitely a reference to outsourcing. The next verse I believe has something to do with racism and immigration as many people don't understand that immigrants are not useless. Why would he use the javier? there are plenty of other names that he could have used in place of it. But Javier makes sense because its a spanish name, and the typical spanish stereotype is that they are maids and cleaning services. It can also be a statement on how people want to close immigration and have racist thoughts because they feel that immigrants are only good for their stereotypes and can not advance in society. However Javier is willing to do what it takes to work and make his money, perhaps he has a family. The next verse I feel is about how the wall street criminals crashed the economy and she may have been one of them and she lost everything and she is ashamed of all the crimes she committed as a worker on wall street. The final verse is about how mainstream Americans (the 99 swallows) will follow the top 1% (the one swallow that flew) no matter what they do because they lead the economy. As for the chorus I believe the fabled city refers to New York and how great of city it is and how great the people are and how Wall Street (the iron fence) brings it down, although in addition it can be believed that the fabled city is a better america and corporate america and our government bring it down.
I believe that the opening is definitely a reference to outsourcing. The next verse I believe has something to do with racism and immigration as many people don't understand that immigrants are not useless. Why would he use the javier? there are plenty of other names that he could have used in place of it. But Javier makes sense because its a spanish name, and the typical spanish stereotype is that they are maids and cleaning services. It can also be a statement on how people want to close immigration and have racist thoughts because they feel that immigrants are only good for their stereotypes and can not advance in society. However Javier is willing to do what it takes to work and make his money, perhaps he has a family. The next verse I feel is about how the wall street criminals crashed the economy and she may have been one of them and she lost everything and she is ashamed of all the crimes she committed as a worker on wall street. The final verse is about how mainstream Americans (the 99 swallows) will follow the top 1% (the one swallow that flew) no matter what they do because they lead the economy. As for the chorus I believe the fabled city refers to New York and how great of city it is and how great the people are and how Wall Street (the iron fence) brings it down, although in addition it can be believed that the fabled city is a better america and corporate america and our government bring it down.