this is such a killer song.

I think it sums up most of the worlds thinking nowadays and about 99% of Americas thinking. I love the line "bought a sweater for
his weimariner too" Like he could not have found something better to do with money like help the world..... But at the end of the day after our stock market drops 777 points just keep your dancing shoes
off mine. HA This song is rad. I am think I am going to go buy a new Range Rover and put some 26" on it tomorrow!!! WAKE UP!!!!!

the opening verse sounds like a null of ideas, having to get your creativity from others...

and the refrain supports that along with a lack of willpower...

and considering radioheadfan's interpretation, this song may be a commentary of today's world.
WAKE UP!!!

I agree it seems like social commentary.

The guy he's talking about gets all his ideas from the newsmedia, reciting their positions but not realizing that he's not ultimately in control of anything. He also spends frivolously through hard economic times like there's no tomorrow until... "more bowls and more cups and the riot for the last hot meal erupts."

("Now I'm no mad man, but that's insanity," indeed.)

The refrain seems like a reflection on the letdowns of his life. "Drowning butterflies," beautiful things (hopes and dreams) destroyed. Palette turns to monochrome, bright future looking bleak.

The second verse seems to elaborate how this guy is just a shill for the powers that be. "And the half-hearted hologram, posed for the party..." He's got his eye on authority and he's not down for freedom. He's an "angry young mannequin" and a "foam-injected Axl Rose" a propped-up, empty figure of feigned outrage, but in reality just a shill.

(Sarcastically, he's also "American apparently" when his actions aren't the least bit American in principle)

I actually interpret the lyric
"angry young mannequin
American Apparently"
to be a bit of a criticism of those who wear American Apparel, consumerism in general.
I think Tunde has a very dark, sarcastic brand of humor and it shows in lyrics like this and from Dry Drunk Emperor. Good stuff.

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this song is clearly a big "fuck you" to all the materialistic people who are blind to everything not on the (fox?)news and can sit back and call themselves good american citizens while they do nothing with their wealth but accessorize themselves. and their animals.

it's about john f kennedy

Really? How do you know? I came on because I thought I had the revelation it is about Bush.

"from his boots to his pants
to his comments and his rants" about him being from Texas and his scare tactics.

"and he can't understand
that he's not in command;
the decisions underwritten" well, no one would really let him be truly in command.

The whole next part about trying to make and keep America the richest country and not helping poor third world countries.

Etc. There are definitely problems I haven't worked out with this interp, and I don't feel like continuing on, but I think if you listen with this in mind you get a really interesting viewpoint on it.

Did anyone notice that Dancing Choose's acronym is D.C.? Wouldn't this somehow support the idea that TVOTR is pertaining to the current government regime and the American public in the littlest sense based on the title alone? I mean, dancing choose could also mean that whomever America elects to run the government is pointless, since results wouldn't matter if society is still oblivious to the problem at hand and would rather "dance" their nights away.

Tunde's style of singing starting with "Eye on authority" reminds me of Billy Joel in "We didn't start the fire"

Listening to TVOTR is like going to a playground that never runs out of fun rides

The part before the first chorus reminds me of "Rock Island" - the opening song from "The Music Man" musical.

What a great song - very dense with metaphors and allusions to pop culture, modern life, etc.

Some thoughts:

I don't necessarily agree that the speaker is Bush 43 or any other specific politician, I get much more of a materialistic I-banker vibe, though the first lines identify him as a newspaper man, so he could be a writer just as much - many double meanings here. I love the reference in the third verse about "Mad Men," the drama about Madison Ave. ad agencies, the men who sowed the seeds of the consumer culture in the 1960s by shilling everything from Frosted Flakes to Lucky Strikes to children. This ties right in to the consumer culture criticism of the first few verses. I believe the speaker lives in the material world of his magazine ads, and can "turn the scene" of his fantasy life as easily as flipping the page to the next full-page full-color ad.

The self-focus of the main subject hurts the singer/writer/narrator, who rails against his credit-fueled spending and ignorance of the larger world and indifference to his family and even his country. The speaker even predicts the dark road for our poor subject - missing life (losing the rhythm, can't stand the vision) turning to drugs (three "bumps" of coke), ending up lifeless and "foam-injected." A sad end, for sure.

I don't understand the verse ending in the "flash tattoo," though it may be a paparazzi reference.

Again, what a well-written tune!

A flash tattoo is a tattoo that someone chose from the wall of the tattoo shop, instead of doing research or creating a custom design. Generally it's something generic like a star, butterfly, "chinese proverb" or whatever. People who are serious about tattoos tend to look down on flash because it is seen as shallow and without individuality.

I heart TVotR, and I think this song is a really fun takedown of yuppies and conformists that is also kind of ironic and doesn't take itself seriously. I think the "keep your dancing shoes off mine" lyric shows that in the end they're on the same dance floor, participating in the same system, even if some of us are more aware of it than others.

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Man, this whole piece is just brimming with creative insight. The pace of the song and the clever title gives the song such completeness. A brief synopsis- Our newspaper character possesses enough knowledge and aplomb from menial information to remain indifferent about the world and get away with it. His existence is publicly so devoid and dull that any negative attribution would seem fundamental. I for one, give him points for being out on the dance floor.

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I think this song specifically targets portions of the media. This is obvious in the first verse, but it also recurs throughout the song in subtle slang references.

VERSE 1: The obvious relevant lines in the first verse are "he's a newspaper man / and he get's his best ideas from a newspaper stand.... from his comments to his rants / he knows that any little article will do." Earlier comments have suggested that this is a guy who doesn't think for himself, someone who gets talking points from the news. But I take the verse almost literally; the character is actually a newspaper reporter-type, a symbol of today's media. The first verse is observing how the media just feeds off itself, keeping some fad news items on cable tv until people are tired of a topic, and then moving on to the next sensational story. The lines I mentioned suggest that he is just looking for sensational headlines and doesn't care about the importance of the news "article".

VERSE 2 is about the hypocrisy of many of these news types. He thinks he's some champion journalist, but he's really just a buffoon. Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh come to mind here.

VERSE 3 could be about how irresponsible the modern media is. This one's hard to parse, but the imagery of indulgence, "sick stunts" and a riot speak to me about how the media is just out to make a buck, even if it means using scare tactics and not sticking to responsible journalism.

One part of the CHORUS sticks out to me: "I've seen my palette blown to monochrome." Literally speaking, in a newspaper most photos can only be black and white. But metaphorically this lyric is about the media's inability to handle subtlety. All judgment is in black and white.

VERSE 4: The lingo in this verse (like much of the lingo in this song) is familiar to people involved in the media (or who observe the media). "Eye on authority" is probably straight out of fox news. "Eye on authority, / thumb print's a forgery / boy, ain't it crazy what the / lights can do / for counterfeit community;" These lines are about what the media is supposed to do -- uncover corruption, shining a light on the counterfeit community. But sadly, "every opportunity / wasted as the space / between the flash tattoo."

VERSE 5 starts out elaborating on the frivolity of the media, referencing money and the "half-hearted hologram" that doesn't really care about important things. "Down for the record but not for freedom" clearly alludes to the media. He wants to get the story, but not because of his values or beliefs, just for money and glory. The "credit card, autograph" line pretty much says "money" and "fame/glory" in more colorful words.

VERSE 6: If you keep the media in mind, most of the metaphors here are clear, especially the angry young mannequin one. An important line is "In the days of old you were a nut. Now you need three bumps before you cut." This is more news lingo. "Three bumps before you cut" probably doesn't allude to cocaine, as mentioned earlier. It's about that moment on tv news before a commercial break when they say, "Up next, is there poison in the water supply? Find out after these messages..." Saying you need three bumps before you cut sounds like a brilliant news diss... it means the person is so boring, no one will keep watching his program unless he keeps grabbing for attention with sensational news bumps.

Overall this song is full of brilliant lines. I recognize news slang all over it, but the song has meaning and significance even without looking at it that way. And that's the hallmark of a great song.

Do your own thing. In my mind I'm breeding more minds.