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Having no idea that his youngest son was dead
The farmer and his sweet young wife slept soundly in his bed
In the shadow of the mountain as the cattle hung their heads
Grazing only feet from where the broken body lay
And would lay undiscovered for another couple days
When the farmer would find vultures at their banquet in the hay
The killer traveled eastbound in a golden brown sedan
Weighing his most recent deviation from the plan counting down the hours til the sun came up again hired to hit the farmer by the farmer's asshole sun he had not yet decided between poison or a gun
When suddenly he realized he would not use either one
The farmer and his sweet young wife slept soundly in his bed
In the shadow of the mountain as the cattle hung their heads
Grazing only feet from where the broken body lay
And would lay undiscovered for another couple days
When the farmer would find vultures at their banquet in the hay
The killer traveled eastbound in a golden brown sedan
Weighing his most recent deviation from the plan counting down the hours til the sun came up again hired to hit the farmer by the farmer's asshole sun he had not yet decided between poison or a gun
When suddenly he realized he would not use either one
Lyrics submitted by sarahsavedlatin
Track duration: 02:51
"Discretion" as written by David Shannon Bazan
Lyrics © BUG MUSIC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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There is a definite use of irony and cleaver wordplay in this song. Now I may be reading into this song too much, but I think I am on to something here.
To begin with:
At no point do the lyrics state that the "asshole son" and the "youngest son" are the same person. So let's assume there are two sons. Now let's assume that the "sweet young wife" is not the mother of the "farmer's youngest son" but rather the mother of the "asshole son". Remember, Bazan clearly states that "the farmer's youngest son" is dead, not THEIR youngest son. He makes a point to describe the young wife as just a young wife, and not the youngest son's mother. So let's, for a moment assume that the "sweet young wife" is the mother of the "asshole son".
We know the "asshole son" hired a hitman to "kill" his father. (physically kill) Perhaps as revenge for marrying his mother.
The song states the hitman made a "deviation" to his plan and that in deciding whether to use "poison or a gun" he choice not to use either one.
So let's assume the hitman chose to kill the farmer's youngest son as a way to "kill" the farmer. (emotionally kill) Punishing not only the farmer but the "asshole son" that ordered the hit.
Any thoughts?
A hitman is a hitman because he wants to get pain, not because he wants to make the world a better place.
And to point out a sort of logical fallacy in the first few comments, there is no proof that the farmer was a kind loving father. There is actually proof to the opposite, seeing as his son had a hit on him.
Whether or not the killer thought the farmer's son was an asshole is debatable. It may be David's own interjection. I personally believe that the killer did think the son was an asshole, but there's really no definitive way to prove it.
The killer changed his mind because of his own discretion; he saw that the son was evil for wanting his father killed, and reasonably judged that it was he who should die and not his father.
A bit a a vigilante, no?
Farmer's son hires hitman to kill the farmer.
The farmer's son was apparently an asshole to the hitman and hitman kill's farmer's son.
Farmer's son hires hitman to kill farmer, hitman thinks son is an "asshole," kills him instead, leaves town.
It took me a while to make out the "hired to hit the farmer" line so I never got this song for the longest time.