There are two westerners in Bombay, lovers. They're in a lot of trouble and they know it. They're altering their passports in an attempt to escape from Bombay. Their enemies catch up with them (they were always going to--the end of verse one tells us that they kind of knew their desperate attempt was gonna fail) and poison the water, killing his girl/partner in crime. The end leaves open the possibility that he didn't drink the water or that he might still be able to escape without her. Or maybe he only has to be alone until he, too, is caught.
The fact that they were altering their passports with scissors and do-it-yourself kits highlights the desperation of their situation, as does the fact that their plan, whatever it is, depends on a kerosene lamp which they aren't going to be able to replace. The lamp tells us that this is a night-time escape, and that the song probably (I think?) has a pre-modern setting.
There are two westerners in Bombay, lovers. They're in a lot of trouble and they know it. They're altering their passports in an attempt to escape from Bombay. Their enemies catch up with them (they were always going to--the end of verse one tells us that they kind of knew their desperate attempt was gonna fail) and poison the water, killing his girl/partner in crime. The end leaves open the possibility that he didn't drink the water or that he might still be able to escape without her. Or maybe he only has to be alone until he, too, is caught.
The fact that they were altering their passports with scissors and do-it-yourself kits highlights the desperation of their situation, as does the fact that their plan, whatever it is, depends on a kerosene lamp which they aren't going to be able to replace. The lamp tells us that this is a night-time escape, and that the song probably (I think?) has a pre-modern setting.