I'd like to point out that the lyrics are incorrect, it should be
"Can you believe this world's like a glassy eyed swimmer caught sipping another one?"
I immediately thought of John Cheever's short story "The Swimmer", which tells about a swimmer (originally meant to represent Narcissus) who decides he can get home from a party by swimming through all his suburban neighbor's pools, accepting a drink from each as he goes on. his neighbors aren't who he thought they were, his old mistress rejects him, and in the end he is tired and cold, and it's storming - he comes to his home, which is locked, and he realizes...it's empty. It's a nightmarish, surreal description of american life. i think this knowledge...makes that line a whole lot more powerful. I do think they are referencing the story in this song. :)
I'd like to point out that the lyrics are incorrect, it should be "Can you believe this world's like a glassy eyed swimmer caught sipping another one?"
I immediately thought of John Cheever's short story "The Swimmer", which tells about a swimmer (originally meant to represent Narcissus) who decides he can get home from a party by swimming through all his suburban neighbor's pools, accepting a drink from each as he goes on. his neighbors aren't who he thought they were, his old mistress rejects him, and in the end he is tired and cold, and it's storming - he comes to his home, which is locked, and he realizes...it's empty. It's a nightmarish, surreal description of american life. i think this knowledge...makes that line a whole lot more powerful. I do think they are referencing the story in this song. :)