A great song, and one that's definitely inspired by comic books. For those who don't know, Brainiac was a Superman supervillain, which explains the references to the Daily Planet reporter and Kandor. It could be metaphoric, considering that this girl he's crazy for seems to be bumbling and at odds with the world around her. It could also arguably symbolize London and its contrast with the English countryside (XTC/Dukes are/were from Swindon, which is apparently mostly rural to suburban), or any city's contrast with its rural surroundings, in terms of culture.
It could also be total nonsense, the way the Beatles stuff this song spoofs seems to be at first listen. The possibilities are endless, but I'm sure Andy Partridge did it all on a whim and never thought much about what it meant. Aspects of psychedelic culture drew on everyday things simultaneously distorted and used as symbols, not too far off from esoteric traditions.
A great song, and one that's definitely inspired by comic books. For those who don't know, Brainiac was a Superman supervillain, which explains the references to the Daily Planet reporter and Kandor. It could be metaphoric, considering that this girl he's crazy for seems to be bumbling and at odds with the world around her. It could also arguably symbolize London and its contrast with the English countryside (XTC/Dukes are/were from Swindon, which is apparently mostly rural to suburban), or any city's contrast with its rural surroundings, in terms of culture. It could also be total nonsense, the way the Beatles stuff this song spoofs seems to be at first listen. The possibilities are endless, but I'm sure Andy Partridge did it all on a whim and never thought much about what it meant. Aspects of psychedelic culture drew on everyday things simultaneously distorted and used as symbols, not too far off from esoteric traditions.