Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a stark picture of deception, personifying lies as a cultivated crop. The opening lines immediately establish a critical tone, urging the listener to "hear how it lies" in books and magazines, emphasizing the pervasive nature of falsehoods within printed media. This isn't just casual untruth; it's a deliberate "sowing" of lies across "columns and rows," presented as a profitable "agriculture."
This agricultural metaphor is central to the song's critique. The narrator describes lies as growing "fruitful and lush" over a "world that trembles with fear." This juxtaposition suggests that the proliferation of these printed falsehoods has a tangible, negative impact on society, creating a foundation of anxiety and dread. The repetition of "it pays and yields" reinforces the idea that deception is a successful, perhaps even encouraged, enterprise.
The lyrics then shift focus to the medium itself, noting how "paper is patient" beneath the "disgrace of ink." This highlights the passive yet complicit nature of the printed word, which readily carries these damaging narratives. The paper endures the "disgrace," implying a moral failing in what it is made to convey. The repeated phrase underscores the enduring, almost unchangeable, quality of these printed lies.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their sharp, almost cynical, personification of lies as a deliberate and profitable agricultural product. The contrast between the natural imagery of farming and the artificiality of printed deception creates a powerful, unsettling image. The narrator's tone is one of weary observation, highlighting how readily society consumes and propagates untruths through its media.
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