to add to or further develop thriggle's comments...
I had similar ideas about the immigration and seeing his ancestors as a swarm of life taking over land. I think you could be even more macroscopic and apply it to the planet instead of just America. Are we not parasites living off the planet? Spreading out like a slow moving swarm throughout history.
I think the way the song is divided is interesting too. The first section introducing the swarm gives way to a more personal story. This is the story of one of the members of the swarm. I agree that the song is about individual change. As each member of the swarm does before him, he grows into a man, no longer fetal, and in a sense this new stronger thing destroys the old larval form. "As he orders my eviction"
to add to or further develop thriggle's comments... I had similar ideas about the immigration and seeing his ancestors as a swarm of life taking over land. I think you could be even more macroscopic and apply it to the planet instead of just America. Are we not parasites living off the planet? Spreading out like a slow moving swarm throughout history.
I think the way the song is divided is interesting too. The first section introducing the swarm gives way to a more personal story. This is the story of one of the members of the swarm. I agree that the song is about individual change. As each member of the swarm does before him, he grows into a man, no longer fetal, and in a sense this new stronger thing destroys the old larval form. "As he orders my eviction"
or something like that.