This may not be one of the more central themes of this song, but I think that from a more general view you could say that there are messages buried within this song about the emptiness of consumer culture. Feels like today especially in Westernized society we place a lot of emphasis and importance on material goods and possessions, believing them to have some sort of intrinsic value that will bring us happiness. I would suggest that this song points out the true hollowness of these material goods, and how they by no means guarantee your happiness. Cummings describes in this song how he would "rather be in hell/than be a wealthy man this morning" because in the end, wealth and money isn't enough to provide for you a happy or even fulfilling life. Additionally he comments on modern society's growing sense of depersonalization - "whatever happened to homes as opposed to houses" seems to again indicate how today everything that matters to us has become very distanced and reduced to a material status rather than one that has personal significance to the individual.
Such a great song, probably my favourite by them.
This may not be one of the more central themes of this song, but I think that from a more general view you could say that there are messages buried within this song about the emptiness of consumer culture. Feels like today especially in Westernized society we place a lot of emphasis and importance on material goods and possessions, believing them to have some sort of intrinsic value that will bring us happiness. I would suggest that this song points out the true hollowness of these material goods, and how they by no means guarantee your happiness. Cummings describes in this song how he would "rather be in hell/than be a wealthy man this morning" because in the end, wealth and money isn't enough to provide for you a happy or even fulfilling life. Additionally he comments on modern society's growing sense of depersonalization - "whatever happened to homes as opposed to houses" seems to again indicate how today everything that matters to us has become very distanced and reduced to a material status rather than one that has personal significance to the individual.
Such a great song, probably my favourite by them.