There appears to be a big disagreement over what this song is about. Religion, politics, or the music industry, but I don't actually think it's about either of these three exclusively. It's no argument that it's about a kind of all-encompassing power, something that is tied into every movement of the modern world, but I don't know if it's something as abstract as religion, or as shallow as politics. I think that the song is about corporate America.
I believe "the one" is referring to a universal man-behind-the-curtain situation. The guy at the top of the ladder, the puller of strings, with contacts everywhere. The "Man", if you will.
Taking a "myth to the bank" is referring to the grand illusion that we live in a real world. To most people, buying a pair of shoes is a fairly mundane experience. Go in, find what fits, buy it and walk out. The genius in this scheme is how cheaply they can mass-produce excellent shoes via sweat-shops using foreign child labor, and because they're a great deal when they make it to the supermarket we buy them without concern for what it took to make them, assuming they must have genetically engineered a shoe tree of some sort. Lord knows they can do anything with technology these days. Corporations are cashing in on America's short-sightedness, or banking on the myth, if you will.
The next part of the song sounds like it is somewhat talking about the media culture, or politics. It doesn't matter what you have to offer the world, as long as you can follow orders and keep your mouth shut you can go anywhere. Everything that we get to see on the television machine has gone through so many hands that it is stripped of it's organic roots and made to fit the mold. Oh, yes, there is rebellion, there are truth speakers, because wave-makers make a lot of money. Rebellion is in fashion, and in the end, all of the money you invested in what seemed so real goes back into the hands of the top executives. Independent business people don't stand much of a chance, 'cause those guys can undersell anyone.
Next line... "Deals in commodities of the abstract sort. Buys them in bulk but then he sells it short. talent, genius, love, even signs of affection. He floods the market, there's no price protection." I love this line, because it talks about creating a monopoly on human emotion. Everything has a price on it, the market for art is huge. I've always wondered how much real feeling can be extrapolated from something that has wriggled millions upon millions of dollars from people and put in back into corporate hands. This can apply to religion, too, "he" has cashed in big on that pony. It's not really a shot at religion in itself, but rather at how even the most personal and abstract principles can be bought and sold. Nothing is greater than, bigger than, more powerful than the machine. Not genius, not love, nothing. I believe that is the meaning of this line.
And finally, when he has gotten his fingers into every other facet of modern culture, he will go for the laws of the environment. Eventually maybe even the laws of physics. Maybe after the money storm gets aggressive enough, the rain will fall up and trees will turn color in springtime. Hey, we're damn close with global warming, and you can't say there wasn't a market for that.
Ultimately, I believe this song is about how modern culture will watch the shadows on the wall for as long as the puppeteers can pick it's pockets. It's a beautiful message, and in parts it reminds me of John Lennon's song Working Class Hero. Another song called False Advertising, by Bright Eyes, also has a similar message in places. I recommend looking up the lyrics to both, because they are beautiful, as is this song. Naturally, however, I'm skeptical of the facet of media from which they came. Whenever I hear a song like this it seems a little bit hypocritical to me, but at some point you just have to stop running, I guess.
Ouch! That's an unfortunate point to end my post on. It's a great song, though, and I do believe Andrew Bird's music is one of the good things in life. I'm not going to compromise him to my paranoia. :)
I hope you liked my first song interpretation.
@Greenlander Thank you for your interpretation. It is for comments of this quality that I come to this site for :) I think your take on the song is spot on and well thought out.
@Greenlander Thank you for your interpretation. It is for comments of this quality that I come to this site for :) I think your take on the song is spot on and well thought out.
There appears to be a big disagreement over what this song is about. Religion, politics, or the music industry, but I don't actually think it's about either of these three exclusively. It's no argument that it's about a kind of all-encompassing power, something that is tied into every movement of the modern world, but I don't know if it's something as abstract as religion, or as shallow as politics. I think that the song is about corporate America.
I believe "the one" is referring to a universal man-behind-the-curtain situation. The guy at the top of the ladder, the puller of strings, with contacts everywhere. The "Man", if you will.
Taking a "myth to the bank" is referring to the grand illusion that we live in a real world. To most people, buying a pair of shoes is a fairly mundane experience. Go in, find what fits, buy it and walk out. The genius in this scheme is how cheaply they can mass-produce excellent shoes via sweat-shops using foreign child labor, and because they're a great deal when they make it to the supermarket we buy them without concern for what it took to make them, assuming they must have genetically engineered a shoe tree of some sort. Lord knows they can do anything with technology these days. Corporations are cashing in on America's short-sightedness, or banking on the myth, if you will.
The next part of the song sounds like it is somewhat talking about the media culture, or politics. It doesn't matter what you have to offer the world, as long as you can follow orders and keep your mouth shut you can go anywhere. Everything that we get to see on the television machine has gone through so many hands that it is stripped of it's organic roots and made to fit the mold. Oh, yes, there is rebellion, there are truth speakers, because wave-makers make a lot of money. Rebellion is in fashion, and in the end, all of the money you invested in what seemed so real goes back into the hands of the top executives. Independent business people don't stand much of a chance, 'cause those guys can undersell anyone.
Next line... "Deals in commodities of the abstract sort. Buys them in bulk but then he sells it short. talent, genius, love, even signs of affection. He floods the market, there's no price protection." I love this line, because it talks about creating a monopoly on human emotion. Everything has a price on it, the market for art is huge. I've always wondered how much real feeling can be extrapolated from something that has wriggled millions upon millions of dollars from people and put in back into corporate hands. This can apply to religion, too, "he" has cashed in big on that pony. It's not really a shot at religion in itself, but rather at how even the most personal and abstract principles can be bought and sold. Nothing is greater than, bigger than, more powerful than the machine. Not genius, not love, nothing. I believe that is the meaning of this line.
And finally, when he has gotten his fingers into every other facet of modern culture, he will go for the laws of the environment. Eventually maybe even the laws of physics. Maybe after the money storm gets aggressive enough, the rain will fall up and trees will turn color in springtime. Hey, we're damn close with global warming, and you can't say there wasn't a market for that.
Ultimately, I believe this song is about how modern culture will watch the shadows on the wall for as long as the puppeteers can pick it's pockets. It's a beautiful message, and in parts it reminds me of John Lennon's song Working Class Hero. Another song called False Advertising, by Bright Eyes, also has a similar message in places. I recommend looking up the lyrics to both, because they are beautiful, as is this song. Naturally, however, I'm skeptical of the facet of media from which they came. Whenever I hear a song like this it seems a little bit hypocritical to me, but at some point you just have to stop running, I guess.
Ouch! That's an unfortunate point to end my post on. It's a great song, though, and I do believe Andrew Bird's music is one of the good things in life. I'm not going to compromise him to my paranoia. :) I hope you liked my first song interpretation.
@Greenlander Thank you for your interpretation. It is for comments of this quality that I come to this site for :) I think your take on the song is spot on and well thought out.
@Greenlander Thank you for your interpretation. It is for comments of this quality that I come to this site for :) I think your take on the song is spot on and well thought out.