I think of this song as more of a personal/internal report than a political commentary. I think that, as another commenter mentioned, "His jaw's been broken, his bandage is wrapped too tight" refer to the person's level of psychic distress, specifically I think it means that he feels he can no longer speak(jaw broken) and a feeling of being trapped or tied up in knots(bandage).
"His fangs have been pulled" could mean his attempt to show strength. I think in total its an incredibly vulnerable statement. He might be saying, I'm tired, I'm not strong, I need to see you.
That "you" is probably the same imagined audience that he directs "there's bourbon on the breath of the singer you love so much" to. I think that he is the singer in question, not his own favorite singer. He is one who takes his words from the books "you" don't read anyway. I think its pretty clear that the "he" and and the "I" are the same person. He slips in and out of third person, claiming the self and setting a distance between him and that self.
about the "poor places". Could be that the "poor places" refers to the parts of himself that normally don't express this kind of vulnerability, this kind of longing and pain.
Then maybe he sort of flips that on its head when it says "it makes no difference to me...", perhaps suggesting that this whole enterprise/expression is extremely self involved. Or its just a fact thats reported, that in his distress, nothing is more important than these feelings that are running hot in the poor palces. The listener can then make a judgement about how bad that is.
I think of this song as more of a personal/internal report than a political commentary. I think that, as another commenter mentioned, "His jaw's been broken, his bandage is wrapped too tight" refer to the person's level of psychic distress, specifically I think it means that he feels he can no longer speak(jaw broken) and a feeling of being trapped or tied up in knots(bandage).
"His fangs have been pulled" could mean his attempt to show strength. I think in total its an incredibly vulnerable statement. He might be saying, I'm tired, I'm not strong, I need to see you.
That "you" is probably the same imagined audience that he directs "there's bourbon on the breath of the singer you love so much" to. I think that he is the singer in question, not his own favorite singer. He is one who takes his words from the books "you" don't read anyway. I think its pretty clear that the "he" and and the "I" are the same person. He slips in and out of third person, claiming the self and setting a distance between him and that self.
about the "poor places". Could be that the "poor places" refers to the parts of himself that normally don't express this kind of vulnerability, this kind of longing and pain.
Then maybe he sort of flips that on its head when it says "it makes no difference to me...", perhaps suggesting that this whole enterprise/expression is extremely self involved. Or its just a fact thats reported, that in his distress, nothing is more important than these feelings that are running hot in the poor palces. The listener can then make a judgement about how bad that is.