(I love this song.)
iforgot is right. The song is a riddle. It uses ambiguous language and confusing terminology, but it is indeed about bowling.
However, the song's focus is a man. This man is incredibly stylish, genteel and dapper, and he is amazing at bowling. Most modern bowling balls made since the 1970's, are made of polyester. cough title drop cough. Polyester bowling balls are also well-documented for being relatively straight once they hit the lane. They're not as prone to "hooking" erratically.
Let's see some backing. The song tells us the man looks "slick as snot," has a suave smile, carries his own bowling bag and ball (called a hammer in the song), has shined shoes and is smoking a Cuban cigar.
That last bit is definitely noteworthy. Cuban cigars are still illegal to import or purchase in the United States, which we can reasonably assume this song's setting is. The W's formed in Oregon and Bowling is fairly common in the US. The presence of a Cuban cigar can simply mean he's a rebel.
I'm iffy the legal implications of him smoking indoors, but I'm sure he's just so cool he can get away with it.
But anyway, the man arrives at the bowling alley and starts rackin' up strikes. His form is excellent. A crowd begins to take notice and cheer him on. The man appreciates the attention ("well, what can I say?") and proceeds to strike his 7th, 8th and 9th frames. The crowd quiets down as he attempts his tenth.
He gets two strikes on the tenth frame, opening up a third opportunity. Should he make this last strike, it would be a "perfect game". The song builds up tension in its own upbeat, irreverent way by devoting a whole verse to it.
But... it never tells us if the guy actually makes the shot. We hear a crushing sound, see the audience cheer, and watch him leave, with the intent on returning tomorrow. It's IMPLIED that he got it, but that last sentence makes at least me wonder.
One thing the song repeats over and over is "Who is he?"
This could be a crowd member's reaction to the man who looks good and performs well. I see it as the songwriter's goal. First of all, it pushes the listener to solve the riddle and discover the heavy bowling influence. Second of all, it pushes the listener to focus on the man. Who is the man? If I had to say the man was an actual person, I'd say he's a darker and edgier Andrew Schar, since he was the only member of the band to have actually played in a bowling league.
But he's not. The King of Polyester is simply the epitome of cool. He's good-looking, talented (or at least well-practiced), and he seems to be having a good time.
(I love this song.) iforgot is right. The song is a riddle. It uses ambiguous language and confusing terminology, but it is indeed about bowling.
However, the song's focus is a man. This man is incredibly stylish, genteel and dapper, and he is amazing at bowling. Most modern bowling balls made since the 1970's, are made of polyester. cough title drop cough. Polyester bowling balls are also well-documented for being relatively straight once they hit the lane. They're not as prone to "hooking" erratically.
Let's see some backing. The song tells us the man looks "slick as snot," has a suave smile, carries his own bowling bag and ball (called a hammer in the song), has shined shoes and is smoking a Cuban cigar.
That last bit is definitely noteworthy. Cuban cigars are still illegal to import or purchase in the United States, which we can reasonably assume this song's setting is. The W's formed in Oregon and Bowling is fairly common in the US. The presence of a Cuban cigar can simply mean he's a rebel.
I'm iffy the legal implications of him smoking indoors, but I'm sure he's just so cool he can get away with it.
But anyway, the man arrives at the bowling alley and starts rackin' up strikes. His form is excellent. A crowd begins to take notice and cheer him on. The man appreciates the attention ("well, what can I say?") and proceeds to strike his 7th, 8th and 9th frames. The crowd quiets down as he attempts his tenth.
He gets two strikes on the tenth frame, opening up a third opportunity. Should he make this last strike, it would be a "perfect game". The song builds up tension in its own upbeat, irreverent way by devoting a whole verse to it.
But... it never tells us if the guy actually makes the shot. We hear a crushing sound, see the audience cheer, and watch him leave, with the intent on returning tomorrow. It's IMPLIED that he got it, but that last sentence makes at least me wonder.
One thing the song repeats over and over is "Who is he?" This could be a crowd member's reaction to the man who looks good and performs well. I see it as the songwriter's goal. First of all, it pushes the listener to solve the riddle and discover the heavy bowling influence. Second of all, it pushes the listener to focus on the man. Who is the man? If I had to say the man was an actual person, I'd say he's a darker and edgier Andrew Schar, since he was the only member of the band to have actually played in a bowling league.
But he's not. The King of Polyester is simply the epitome of cool. He's good-looking, talented (or at least well-practiced), and he seems to be having a good time.
That's all. <i>RACK 'EM UP!</i>