He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
What's it gonna take
To slow us down
To let the silence spin us around?
What's it gonna take
To drop this town?
We've been spinning at the speed of sound.
Stepping out of those convenience stores
What could we want but more more more?
From the third world
To the corporate core
We are a symphony of modern humanity
If we're adding to the noise
Turn off this song
If we're adding to the noise
Turn off your stereo, stereo, stereo
I don't know
What they're gonna think of next
Genetic engineers of the most high tech
A couple new ways
To fall into debt
I'm a nervous wreck but I'll bet
That that T.V. set
Tells us what we've wanted to hear
But none of these sound bites
Are coming in clear
From the third world to the corporate ear
We are the symphony of modern humanity.
To slow us down
To let the silence spin us around?
What's it gonna take
To drop this town?
We've been spinning at the speed of sound.
Stepping out of those convenience stores
What could we want but more more more?
From the third world
To the corporate core
We are a symphony of modern humanity
If we're adding to the noise
Turn off this song
If we're adding to the noise
Turn off your stereo, stereo, stereo
I don't know
What they're gonna think of next
Genetic engineers of the most high tech
A couple new ways
To fall into debt
I'm a nervous wreck but I'll bet
That that T.V. set
Tells us what we've wanted to hear
But none of these sound bites
Are coming in clear
From the third world to the corporate ear
We are the symphony of modern humanity.
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This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
love this song rules, i love the electric drums in the beginning. this is about how we're becoming so modernized, and how its probably gonna end up hurting us