Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a vivid, almost caricatured portrait of a city's governing body. We're introduced to a "bulging council" of "grave and solemn elders," immediately establishing a tone of pompous self-importance. Their selection criteria are humorously laid bare: not wisdom or foresight, but sheer "weight and density," suggesting a group more concerned with their own physical presence and inertia than with effective governance. This sets up a satirical critique of bureaucratic stagnation and self-serving politics.
The central tension arises from the stark contrast between the council's perceived gravitas and their actual operational flaws. Their "incredible dilatoriness" and "impenetrable intransigence" highlight a profound inability to act or adapt. Yet, the lyrics suggest their most prized qualities are "inordinate breadth of their views / And bottoms," a witty jab that conflates expansive thinking with physical girth, implying their perspectives are as limited as their physical capacity for movement or change. This juxtaposition underscores a deep-seated hypocrisy.
The most striking aspect of the craft is the relentless use of polysyllabic, often negative, descriptors. Words like "dilatoriness," "intransigence," and "inordinate" create a sense of cumbersome, almost absurd, formality. This linguistic density mirrors the physical and intellectual bulk of the council members themselves. The final line, "And for their intolerance of any corruption / In which they have no share," delivers a sharp, ironic punch, revealing their supposed moral rectitude as mere self-preservation, a final indictment of their hollow authority.
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