(1) Not about gay marriage. "Even the rats know the trouble's gonna come," of course, refers to the saying about rats leaving a sinking ship. Rats on ships go about their business ignoring pretty much everything that doesn't directly affect them. When something does affect them enough to leave, things are really in bad shape, seriously threatening everyone, all around. Gay marriage just isn't an issue of that magnitude in the US, (except maybe in the eyes of the anti-gay fundies, which the singer clearly isn't): it doesn't affect most people.
(1) Not about gay marriage. "Even the rats know the trouble's gonna come," of course, refers to the saying about rats leaving a sinking ship. Rats on ships go about their business ignoring pretty much everything that doesn't directly affect them. When something does affect them enough to leave, things are really in bad shape, seriously threatening everyone, all around. Gay marriage just isn't an issue of that magnitude in the US, (except maybe in the eyes of the anti-gay fundies, which the singer clearly isn't): it doesn't affect most people.
(2) Not about more women in politics. If it were, the reference to "...the men up on capitol hill" would just be to capital hill.
(3) Definitely a reference to--at least--American military aggression in the world, and the problems that will end up causing Americans. "A little less Jack and a little more Jill" clearly means following our masculine, destructive instincts less and our nurturing, humane instincts more.
(4) The singer could be referring to more troubles than just military ones (drug laws, energy, global warming, etc.), but in any case he thinks our kinder, gentler neighbors to the north will handle things better or at least be a better place to hide from them. He figures he can't really change much by himself.
*politics
My take:
My take:
(1) Not about gay marriage. "Even the rats know the trouble's gonna come," of course, refers to the saying about rats leaving a sinking ship. Rats on ships go about their business ignoring pretty much everything that doesn't directly affect them. When something does affect them enough to leave, things are really in bad shape, seriously threatening everyone, all around. Gay marriage just isn't an issue of that magnitude in the US, (except maybe in the eyes of the anti-gay fundies, which the singer clearly isn't): it doesn't affect most people.
(1) Not about gay marriage. "Even the rats know the trouble's gonna come," of course, refers to the saying about rats leaving a sinking ship. Rats on ships go about their business ignoring pretty much everything that doesn't directly affect them. When something does affect them enough to leave, things are really in bad shape, seriously threatening everyone, all around. Gay marriage just isn't an issue of that magnitude in the US, (except maybe in the eyes of the anti-gay fundies, which the singer clearly isn't): it doesn't affect most people.
(2) Not about more women in politics. If it were, the reference to "...the men up on capitol hill" would just be to capital hill.
(3) Definitely a reference to--at least--American military aggression in the world, and the problems that will end up causing Americans. "A little less Jack and a little more Jill" clearly means following our masculine, destructive instincts less and our nurturing, humane instincts more.
(4) The singer could be referring to more troubles than just military ones (drug laws, energy, global warming, etc.), but in any case he thinks our kinder, gentler neighbors to the north will handle things better or at least be a better place to hide from them. He figures he can't really change much by himself.