Once again, Waits expertly paints a vivid picture with his words, one of darkness and grime, but it is with his tone that he conveys a clear message. All these images of murder and deceit, and Waits sings it like it’s a tired tale. Throughout the lyrics we also get hints at racial inequality and class discrimination. I reckon the song is ultimately about human culture; how we are all forced to kill a living thing to survive, whether we like it or not, but how we have control of our actions. It’s indolence that leads to depravity. While the story seems to take place in a corrupt farming area, I think the barn really represents the entire world.
Once again, Waits expertly paints a vivid picture with his words, one of darkness and grime, but it is with his tone that he conveys a clear message. All these images of murder and deceit, and Waits sings it like it’s a tired tale. Throughout the lyrics we also get hints at racial inequality and class discrimination. I reckon the song is ultimately about human culture; how we are all forced to kill a living thing to survive, whether we like it or not, but how we have control of our actions. It’s indolence that leads to depravity. While the story seems to take place in a corrupt farming area, I think the barn really represents the entire world.