Somebody mentioned the idea that the woman he's with is of a higher up, wealthy family. This can be inferred, since the portrait is being hung in the "dark of some parliamentary hall." The speaker claims to be nervous, as he is "sweating like a teenager." He dresses in his elegant clothes because he "want[s] to be seen with her."
This correlates to the ideas referenced in Taxi Cab on Contra, where the speaker reflects his failed relationship with an aristocratic woman, because he was intimidated by her wealth.
Anyway, about Ottoman. As we discussed, he is nervous about his impending marriage with a woman of high social status. The first two verses and the chorus are discussing the moments before, and moments following the wedding. The verses discuss his anxiety, and the chorus paints a picture of the wedding scene.
That's the obvious part, the third verse is the part that hits me the hardest.
The shift is obviously post marriage. It's clear because he discusses "all of the costs, and all of the time it took." This paints an image of a family, or perhaps the wedding ceremony and preparations. However, it's all "lines of red in a leather book," perhaps an image made to show the distribution of money or possessions setting up a divorce.
The idea of this divorce is emphasized by the speaker is "Begging [her] to wait for a minute by the door, her creeping feet where they've never been before." This image is strong and truly painful. It's pretty self explanatory, as the woman leaves him.
As I said, this correlates heavily with Taxi Cab, as the themes of aristocracy and break up. I encourage avid listeners of this song to look up Taxi Cab for comparison.
Somebody mentioned the idea that the woman he's with is of a higher up, wealthy family. This can be inferred, since the portrait is being hung in the "dark of some parliamentary hall." The speaker claims to be nervous, as he is "sweating like a teenager." He dresses in his elegant clothes because he "want[s] to be seen with her."
This correlates to the ideas referenced in Taxi Cab on Contra, where the speaker reflects his failed relationship with an aristocratic woman, because he was intimidated by her wealth.
Anyway, about Ottoman. As we discussed, he is nervous about his impending marriage with a woman of high social status. The first two verses and the chorus are discussing the moments before, and moments following the wedding. The verses discuss his anxiety, and the chorus paints a picture of the wedding scene.
That's the obvious part, the third verse is the part that hits me the hardest.
The shift is obviously post marriage. It's clear because he discusses "all of the costs, and all of the time it took." This paints an image of a family, or perhaps the wedding ceremony and preparations. However, it's all "lines of red in a leather book," perhaps an image made to show the distribution of money or possessions setting up a divorce.
The idea of this divorce is emphasized by the speaker is "Begging [her] to wait for a minute by the door, her creeping feet where they've never been before." This image is strong and truly painful. It's pretty self explanatory, as the woman leaves him.
As I said, this correlates heavily with Taxi Cab, as the themes of aristocracy and break up. I encourage avid listeners of this song to look up Taxi Cab for comparison.