it seems to me like the song is intentionally self-defeating in order to exaggerate the criticisms people make of others to the extent that they seem ridiculous. the first stanza demonstrates complaints that people have in reference to others. the second stanza then demonstrates how people are unwilling to accept blame for their own actions. it seems to suggest that despite his actions, society holds him down. then, at the end of the song he realizes how easy it is for a person to get caught up in himself and realizes that he has been wrong in criticizing others so harshly.
@mbc4ny My interpretation is close to yours, but not identical. The first 3 stanzas are written from the perspective of the judgemental others. The fourth stanza is the author who finds himself in the position of the judged. He's given all he's got and it's still not enough for the criticism to stop. The last stanza is also from the perspective of the author and it is not about himself wrongly criticizing others, but about losing himself in the criticism that he received, I think. He lost himself by continuously giving himself to the world and by continuously being on...
@mbc4ny My interpretation is close to yours, but not identical. The first 3 stanzas are written from the perspective of the judgemental others. The fourth stanza is the author who finds himself in the position of the judged. He's given all he's got and it's still not enough for the criticism to stop. The last stanza is also from the perspective of the author and it is not about himself wrongly criticizing others, but about losing himself in the criticism that he received, I think. He lost himself by continuously giving himself to the world and by continuously being on payroll nevertheless. That is why at the end when he finds himself, he does not invoke karma police anymore.
it seems to me like the song is intentionally self-defeating in order to exaggerate the criticisms people make of others to the extent that they seem ridiculous. the first stanza demonstrates complaints that people have in reference to others. the second stanza then demonstrates how people are unwilling to accept blame for their own actions. it seems to suggest that despite his actions, society holds him down. then, at the end of the song he realizes how easy it is for a person to get caught up in himself and realizes that he has been wrong in criticizing others so harshly.
@mbc4ny My interpretation is close to yours, but not identical. The first 3 stanzas are written from the perspective of the judgemental others. The fourth stanza is the author who finds himself in the position of the judged. He's given all he's got and it's still not enough for the criticism to stop. The last stanza is also from the perspective of the author and it is not about himself wrongly criticizing others, but about losing himself in the criticism that he received, I think. He lost himself by continuously giving himself to the world and by continuously being on...
@mbc4ny My interpretation is close to yours, but not identical. The first 3 stanzas are written from the perspective of the judgemental others. The fourth stanza is the author who finds himself in the position of the judged. He's given all he's got and it's still not enough for the criticism to stop. The last stanza is also from the perspective of the author and it is not about himself wrongly criticizing others, but about losing himself in the criticism that he received, I think. He lost himself by continuously giving himself to the world and by continuously being on payroll nevertheless. That is why at the end when he finds himself, he does not invoke karma police anymore.
@mbc4ny He's making fun of new age "enlightened" hippies with their concept of karma, which is just a judgment on others. It's brilliant.
@mbc4ny He's making fun of new age "enlightened" hippies with their concept of karma, which is just a judgment on others. It's brilliant.