My favorite thing in the song is the reference to "Amanita"--which is the genus of several exceptionally deadly mushrooms, including the one commonly known as the Destroying Angel. I always get this image of these mushrooms popping up among the flowers--something deadly and nasty that appears overnight and unbidden. It's the creepy element in a song that's generally pretty and peaceful (and since what Jerrybear already said about its meaning is completely right, that creepiness is utterly appropriate). It's even a pretty word, with a slightly Latino feel, and I suspect a lot of people don't necessarily recognize what it really means.
These days, I like the metaphor of the United States as the Destroying Angel, which is completely appropriate here too.
My favorite thing in the song is the reference to "Amanita"--which is the genus of several exceptionally deadly mushrooms, including the one commonly known as the Destroying Angel. I always get this image of these mushrooms popping up among the flowers--something deadly and nasty that appears overnight and unbidden. It's the creepy element in a song that's generally pretty and peaceful (and since what Jerrybear already said about its meaning is completely right, that creepiness is utterly appropriate). It's even a pretty word, with a slightly Latino feel, and I suspect a lot of people don't necessarily recognize what it really means.
These days, I like the metaphor of the United States as the Destroying Angel, which is completely appropriate here too.