1
The king of the swinging moods is back in town
And everybody's tip-toeing around him
Surround him, as he
pounds a silver hammer
Drops revolutionary grammar
Concerning the burning of city hall
And urban sprawl and decay
(getting so old)
Farewell to the day
Of having it both ways
(So old)
Hell is other people
And some people never learn
When optimism fails
And my cooler head prevails
I will meet you at the point of diminishing returns
Down in the abstract
Looking for a concrete artifact
Something to hold on to
Not one more thing to believe in
Stuck in a fallback
And fighting off a heart attack
And you're so tangible
Like a nitroglycerin tablet
Under my tongue
(getting so old)
Farewell to the day
Of having it both ways
(so old)
The boom's a bust out
And thanks for your concern
When pessimism fails and
My cooler head prevails
I will meet you at the point of diminishing returns
And progress shall be defined
By your position on the bridge
As it burns
When populism, activism, urbanism fail
My cooler head, my cooler head will prevail
When there are no more gods left to anoint
No more noses to bend out of joint
I'm gonna meet you at the point of diminishing returns
(getting so old)
Farewell to the day
Of having it both ways
(So old)
Hell is other people
Some people never learn
(getting so old)
Farewell to the day
Of having it both ways
(so old)
When optimism fails
And my cooler head prevails
I will meet you at the point of diminishing returns
And everybody's tip-toeing around him
Surround him, as he
pounds a silver hammer
Drops revolutionary grammar
Concerning the burning of city hall
And urban sprawl and decay
(getting so old)
Farewell to the day
Of having it both ways
(So old)
Hell is other people
And some people never learn
When optimism fails
And my cooler head prevails
I will meet you at the point of diminishing returns
Down in the abstract
Looking for a concrete artifact
Something to hold on to
Not one more thing to believe in
Stuck in a fallback
And fighting off a heart attack
And you're so tangible
Like a nitroglycerin tablet
Under my tongue
(getting so old)
Farewell to the day
Of having it both ways
(so old)
The boom's a bust out
And thanks for your concern
When pessimism fails and
My cooler head prevails
I will meet you at the point of diminishing returns
And progress shall be defined
By your position on the bridge
As it burns
When populism, activism, urbanism fail
My cooler head, my cooler head will prevail
When there are no more gods left to anoint
No more noses to bend out of joint
I'm gonna meet you at the point of diminishing returns
(getting so old)
Farewell to the day
Of having it both ways
(So old)
Hell is other people
Some people never learn
(getting so old)
Farewell to the day
Of having it both ways
(so old)
When optimism fails
And my cooler head prevails
I will meet you at the point of diminishing returns
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diminishing returns is of course an economic concept but can apply to many many areas of human action. its the point where further production, effort, etc. becomes counterproductive as costs outweigh benefits. Seems to be about finding a balance between, generally, optimism/pessimism, and philosophical or political points of diminishing returns. The rest of the lyrics fill out this concept nicely and speak for themselves.