I think this is a caution about getting involved in a war in the Middle East, directed to America, especially about the Iraq war (would have been written about the time the war began). The general sense is "you don't know what you're in for".
"...take a good, good look at the latest pie that they could cook" reminds me of "Sing a Song of Sixpence". The song refers to four and twenty blackbirds baked (alive) in a pie - the birds were baked alive in a pie and would fly out and surprise (and scare) wealthy medieval feast-goers.
"Just before the time of Nero...We had no concept of zero" - Mathematicians in Babylonia (now called Iraq) were using the "concept of zero" thousands of years before the Western world...look at Roman numerals, which go on and on and on, because there is no placeholder for "nothing". No zeroes.
"...as you near your Independence Day" is (seems) a direct reference to America.
"The devil may care...and maybe he's the only one" No one, or not enough, people are paying attention to the issue of war profiteering. The "intervention" in Iraq is really all about oil reserves. Come on.
I know it's irritating to compare artists (I can't help it) but this one in particular, though very Squirrel Nut Zippery, also reminds me of Tom Waits.
I think this is a caution about getting involved in a war in the Middle East, directed to America, especially about the Iraq war (would have been written about the time the war began). The general sense is "you don't know what you're in for".
"...take a good, good look at the latest pie that they could cook" reminds me of "Sing a Song of Sixpence". The song refers to four and twenty blackbirds baked (alive) in a pie - the birds were baked alive in a pie and would fly out and surprise (and scare) wealthy medieval feast-goers.
"Just before the time of Nero...We had no concept of zero" - Mathematicians in Babylonia (now called Iraq) were using the "concept of zero" thousands of years before the Western world...look at Roman numerals, which go on and on and on, because there is no placeholder for "nothing". No zeroes.
"...as you near your Independence Day" is (seems) a direct reference to America.
"The devil may care...and maybe he's the only one" No one, or not enough, people are paying attention to the issue of war profiteering. The "intervention" in Iraq is really all about oil reserves. Come on.
I know it's irritating to compare artists (I can't help it) but this one in particular, though very Squirrel Nut Zippery, also reminds me of Tom Waits.
That would make sense, but this song was released in 1999
That would make sense, but this song was released in 1999
@abirata well nevermind
@abirata well nevermind