I have always sucked at interpreting poetry, and even on the rare occasion when I was close I always seemed to misinterpret some vital point. Not having the strict upbringing of humanities imposed by the British school system of yore in a post sexual revolution America I have always been at a disadvantage not even taking my dyslexia into account. But Shriekback's potent lyrics via Mr Andrews have always fascinated me. The imagery in this song is so deliberate there must be more than random nonsense. The obvious quality of this ballad is lament, bordering on post apocalyptic, but I know it cannot be something so obviously lame. Its not some heavy handed cold war era song about the danger of nuclear war. More personal I would want to think. But whether it underscores the loss of humanity on a microcosmic level or the greater fall of human society through our hubris, the beauty of this song for me is it can apply to many possibilities. The third act of life, the disintegration of an era personal or global.
