I think this song is about someone who has committed a faux pas and done something bad (among their friends or family or maybe even in public, if they are famous) and is now facing the consequences. The narrator is advising them to apologize before it is blown out of proportion.
(Out on the wall sounds of banging's constant coming from your head
And desperate the calls came then ringing from those wanna wring your neck
Your neck)
The person in the song is banging their head against the wall, beating themselves up for doing something so stupid. Meanwhile, they are starting to get phone calls from people who are angry.
(And open your mouth sounds of breathing foulness spilling from your face
You'd best to beat them to the humbling traffic stomping on your name)
The foulness reference is the description of the person responding badly to the friends' outcry (or it may be a reference to the original faux pas). The narrator tells them that their best course of action is really just to beat the others to the criticism- to admit their own guilt and weaknesses before everyone else can point them out.
(Count on us all falling on our own swords tonight)
I imagine that the narrator is somehow affiliated with the protagonist in a group (family, maybe)- and he explains that in order to get past the ordeal, they'll all have to 'fall on their swords,' a Samurai way to avoid dishonor by not surrendering- instead killing yourself with your own sword. Basically, in order to preserve their honor/reputation, and not surrender to the anger of their friends, they'll have to sacrifice themselves, injure themselves publicly (by slandering and injuring their own names/ admitting guilt). Only then can they preserve their honor and continue on with their lives.
(And chilling walk home down the portions of roads there leading straight to your place
It looked like the tin can would swallow the kitchen plugging up your space)
I think the chilling walk home may refer to the loneliness of life after the apology, the time still in the friends'/family's/public's disapproval. I think the tin can reference is a metaphor for how big the problem seems. One tin can cannot plug up an entire space, nor can it swallow the whole kitchen- this one incident is not going to swallow up and destroy the protagonist's entire life; it just seems like it at the time.
(Count on us all stepping on our own toes tonight
Count on us all stepping on our own toes
Count on us all falling on our own swords tonight)
I think the 'stepping on our own toes' reference might mean that throughout the whole debacle, they're still going to make mistakes, occasionally say the wrong thing while they try to mend the situation (or it might be a reference to walking on tip-toes, being hyper-cautious and conscientious in order to be less offending to the public/their friends). Once again, he repeats that they'll all have to fall on their swords- just suck it up, admit guilt, and apologize no matter how painful it may be.
I think this song is about someone who has committed a faux pas and done something bad (among their friends or family or maybe even in public, if they are famous) and is now facing the consequences. The narrator is advising them to apologize before it is blown out of proportion.
(Out on the wall sounds of banging's constant coming from your head And desperate the calls came then ringing from those wanna wring your neck Your neck)
The person in the song is banging their head against the wall, beating themselves up for doing something so stupid. Meanwhile, they are starting to get phone calls from people who are angry.
(And open your mouth sounds of breathing foulness spilling from your face You'd best to beat them to the humbling traffic stomping on your name)
The foulness reference is the description of the person responding badly to the friends' outcry (or it may be a reference to the original faux pas). The narrator tells them that their best course of action is really just to beat the others to the criticism- to admit their own guilt and weaknesses before everyone else can point them out.
(Count on us all falling on our own swords tonight)
I imagine that the narrator is somehow affiliated with the protagonist in a group (family, maybe)- and he explains that in order to get past the ordeal, they'll all have to 'fall on their swords,' a Samurai way to avoid dishonor by not surrendering- instead killing yourself with your own sword. Basically, in order to preserve their honor/reputation, and not surrender to the anger of their friends, they'll have to sacrifice themselves, injure themselves publicly (by slandering and injuring their own names/ admitting guilt). Only then can they preserve their honor and continue on with their lives.
(And chilling walk home down the portions of roads there leading straight to your place It looked like the tin can would swallow the kitchen plugging up your space)
I think the chilling walk home may refer to the loneliness of life after the apology, the time still in the friends'/family's/public's disapproval. I think the tin can reference is a metaphor for how big the problem seems. One tin can cannot plug up an entire space, nor can it swallow the whole kitchen- this one incident is not going to swallow up and destroy the protagonist's entire life; it just seems like it at the time.
(Count on us all stepping on our own toes tonight Count on us all stepping on our own toes Count on us all falling on our own swords tonight)
I think the 'stepping on our own toes' reference might mean that throughout the whole debacle, they're still going to make mistakes, occasionally say the wrong thing while they try to mend the situation (or it might be a reference to walking on tip-toes, being hyper-cautious and conscientious in order to be less offending to the public/their friends). Once again, he repeats that they'll all have to fall on their swords- just suck it up, admit guilt, and apologize no matter how painful it may be.