The initial verse makes it very clear that there will be no romance in this song, and to not even bother looking for them. It's smacks of inflicted disillusionment.
I believe the ship is not just a metaphor for the world, but for human society afloat in the world. When the society starts to "sink" or everyone doesn't have to pay equally. Tom says the ones who pay are "the poor, the lame, the blind" which is quite obviously the lower classes (I don't think Tom means the Blind to be the religious, as is the common translation. That seems a bit out of line with the rest of Blood Money), while the upper classes are left in charge.
If you apply the song to Wall Street's near total destruction of the world economy, then it really takes shape. That's why "lawyers" are equal with "killers and thieves" (warmongers, investment bankers etc).
Into 2011 we're looking at hard economic times, but it's the lower classes in the "boiler room" that get drowned in the seawater, while the upper echelons have life boats and a vague idea that something bad may be going on below decks.
"God's away on business" anthropomorphizes God as a paternal figure. It could be read to say "Dad's away on business, so he can't set things right for you."
In the context of Tom's other songs relating to paternal figures (especially when he's taking the role) it's pretty easy to assume that the God/Dad isn't coming home at all. So the children are left at the mercy of an unfair, indifferent universe.
The initial verse makes it very clear that there will be no romance in this song, and to not even bother looking for them. It's smacks of inflicted disillusionment.
I believe the ship is not just a metaphor for the world, but for human society afloat in the world. When the society starts to "sink" or everyone doesn't have to pay equally. Tom says the ones who pay are "the poor, the lame, the blind" which is quite obviously the lower classes (I don't think Tom means the Blind to be the religious, as is the common translation. That seems a bit out of line with the rest of Blood Money), while the upper classes are left in charge.
If you apply the song to Wall Street's near total destruction of the world economy, then it really takes shape. That's why "lawyers" are equal with "killers and thieves" (warmongers, investment bankers etc).
Into 2011 we're looking at hard economic times, but it's the lower classes in the "boiler room" that get drowned in the seawater, while the upper echelons have life boats and a vague idea that something bad may be going on below decks.
"God's away on business" anthropomorphizes God as a paternal figure. It could be read to say "Dad's away on business, so he can't set things right for you." In the context of Tom's other songs relating to paternal figures (especially when he's taking the role) it's pretty easy to assume that the God/Dad isn't coming home at all. So the children are left at the mercy of an unfair, indifferent universe.
A masterpiece of bitterness is an understatement.