Ok, I'm pretty sure this song is a lot more about Ulysses than a lot of people want to believe. Ulysses contains most of the topics already discussed (Ulysses is another name for Odysseus, and Stephen, whose last name was a reference to Dedalus, was also in Ulysses.) One of the most important lines in Ulysses goes something like, "I find my day inexorably pulling me in every direction but that one toward which I intended to go." See how that fits the song? Ulysses combines the ideas in this song, and this song only makes sense on the whole whole as a reference to Ulysses. Ulysses is something of a modern odyssey, and this song is about the odyssey we must all go through, our life. I could be wrong, but being somewhat familiar Ulysses, that's just how I see this song. I believe Ted Leo has even admitted to referencing and liking that book. Just like Ted Leo's songs, it's sort of a puzzle. An ungodly amount of references beautifully synthesized together with an incredibly unique style.
Ok, I'm pretty sure this song is a lot more about Ulysses than a lot of people want to believe. Ulysses contains most of the topics already discussed (Ulysses is another name for Odysseus, and Stephen, whose last name was a reference to Dedalus, was also in Ulysses.) One of the most important lines in Ulysses goes something like, "I find my day inexorably pulling me in every direction but that one toward which I intended to go." See how that fits the song? Ulysses combines the ideas in this song, and this song only makes sense on the whole whole as a reference to Ulysses. Ulysses is something of a modern odyssey, and this song is about the odyssey we must all go through, our life. I could be wrong, but being somewhat familiar Ulysses, that's just how I see this song. I believe Ted Leo has even admitted to referencing and liking that book. Just like Ted Leo's songs, it's sort of a puzzle. An ungodly amount of references beautifully synthesized together with an incredibly unique style.