Brace yourselves for my interpretation. Like everyone saying, to me this song is about the sort of listless nature of being a teenager. Not feeling like you belong anywhere and going crazy from boredom and
"Boredom's in the bathroom shaking out the loose teeth
Sally's in the stirrups claiming her destiny"
The boredom experienced by a teenager (who is too young and without means to do the more grown up things they want to do, but who is too old for toys and childish things) can cause risky behaviors. So to me, Billy is talking about a teen taking pills (that are reminiscent of loose teeth) from his family bathroom and another having either a child or an abortion.
"And nobody nowhere understands anything
About me and all my dreams
Lost at sea"
At that age, you feel like an outcast that no one will ever understand.
"Jack it up Judy, set your heart alight
Mayfair mistress of the satellites"
The phrase 'Jack it up' here could mean to intentionally create chaos to feel something exciting.
"Misspent youth, faking up a rampage
To hold off the real slaves
Paid off and staid"
This line, to me, sounds like arguing with your parents who are a slave to their workplace but are paid off and probably somewhat dull in their monotony. Or perhaps the line refers to rebelling at adulthood in general.
"And what you never knew
Can never get to you
So fake it"
There's a lot you don't know at that age and you don't know what you don't know. So fake it.
"I'll be your stumbleine
I'll be your super queen
And make you"
I love the interpretation in the comments about Stumbleine being a metaphor for a person who will love your pure, authentic self and take the good with the bad. So these would be the words that a lot of people at that age would be dying to hear from someone.
"Jukebox fuckup hanging 'round the drugstore
No matter what you say, he'll be back for more"
In an interview, Billy once mentioned playing pinball at a convenience or drug store in his hometown and the clerk being rude to him regularly. It sounds like this line is the clerk's calling him a fuckup and perhaps tells the teen to stop hanging around so much or to make something of himself, but he doesn't listen.
"Mommy's in the manger with the little kids
She's got her reasons, got my forgets
Of tears and idle threats
Misplaced"
The mention of a manger could have to do with something biblical, but to me it sounds more like a mom is spending her time with the kids rather than the adults because she's possibly in an abusive relationship with the father? And being a child, they won't remember or understand the tears and misplaced idle threats from their dad to their mom.
"And no matter what they do
They can't get to you
So fake it"
This line sounds like it could refer to being tough in the face of that feeling of being misplaced, or possibly as people tell you to grow up and you don't want to listen, you pretend anyway to appease them and move on from the conversation.
"Come around Ruby I could never sleep alone"
A line about fighting loneliness and trying to find someone to fill that void even if they might not be your "Stumbleine."
Brace yourselves for my interpretation. Like everyone saying, to me this song is about the sort of listless nature of being a teenager. Not feeling like you belong anywhere and going crazy from boredom and
"Boredom's in the bathroom shaking out the loose teeth Sally's in the stirrups claiming her destiny"
The boredom experienced by a teenager (who is too young and without means to do the more grown up things they want to do, but who is too old for toys and childish things) can cause risky behaviors. So to me, Billy is talking about a teen taking pills (that are reminiscent of loose teeth) from his family bathroom and another having either a child or an abortion.
"And nobody nowhere understands anything About me and all my dreams Lost at sea"
At that age, you feel like an outcast that no one will ever understand.
"Jack it up Judy, set your heart alight Mayfair mistress of the satellites"
The phrase 'Jack it up' here could mean to intentionally create chaos to feel something exciting.
"Misspent youth, faking up a rampage To hold off the real slaves Paid off and staid"
This line, to me, sounds like arguing with your parents who are a slave to their workplace but are paid off and probably somewhat dull in their monotony. Or perhaps the line refers to rebelling at adulthood in general.
"And what you never knew Can never get to you So fake it"
There's a lot you don't know at that age and you don't know what you don't know. So fake it.
"I'll be your stumbleine I'll be your super queen And make you"
I love the interpretation in the comments about Stumbleine being a metaphor for a person who will love your pure, authentic self and take the good with the bad. So these would be the words that a lot of people at that age would be dying to hear from someone.
"Jukebox fuckup hanging 'round the drugstore No matter what you say, he'll be back for more"
In an interview, Billy once mentioned playing pinball at a convenience or drug store in his hometown and the clerk being rude to him regularly. It sounds like this line is the clerk's calling him a fuckup and perhaps tells the teen to stop hanging around so much or to make something of himself, but he doesn't listen.
"Mommy's in the manger with the little kids She's got her reasons, got my forgets Of tears and idle threats Misplaced"
The mention of a manger could have to do with something biblical, but to me it sounds more like a mom is spending her time with the kids rather than the adults because she's possibly in an abusive relationship with the father? And being a child, they won't remember or understand the tears and misplaced idle threats from their dad to their mom.
"And no matter what they do They can't get to you So fake it"
This line sounds like it could refer to being tough in the face of that feeling of being misplaced, or possibly as people tell you to grow up and you don't want to listen, you pretend anyway to appease them and move on from the conversation.
"Come around Ruby I could never sleep alone"
A line about fighting loneliness and trying to find someone to fill that void even if they might not be your "Stumbleine."
Thoughts?