Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?

Song Meaning

The lyrics present a defiant employee, an "independent employée," directly confronting a superior, likely a king or powerful figure. She initially chafes at being treated like a "servant" despite receiving "less than servant's pay," asserting her freedom and rejecting the assumption that her gender dictates a role as "slave or concubine." This sets up a sharp contrast between her self-perception and the perceived expectations of her employer, whom she labels a "conceited, self-indulgent libertine." The core tension arises from the narrator's moral outrage against the "goings on around this place," specifically the "polygamy" and "moderate bigamy." She frames her disapproval not as personal prudishness but as a product of her "civilized land called Wales," where such behavior would lead to "county jails." This positions her as an outsider with a different moral compass, judging the decadent and morally lax environment she finds herself in. The imagery of the employer surrounded by mistresses who "have no ken / Of other men" paints a picture of isolation within his own pleasure-seeking. A striking moment of craft is the narrator's shift from direct accusation to a more metaphorical critique. She likens the employer to a "ram" with a "flock of sheep," highlighting his sexual dominance and the subservience of those around him. This is followed by the visceral, almost surreal image of her imagining him as a "man / Playing the part of a toad / Crawling around on your elbows and knees / Eating the dust of the road!" This grotesque metaphor powerfully conveys her disgust at the sycophantic behavior of his subjects, whom she calls "toads" for their unquestioning obedience and willingness to "grovel." The effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their unflinching directness and the narrator's bold articulation of dissent. She moves from personal grievance to societal critique, using vivid, often harsh imagery to expose the moral rot she perceives. The repeated assertion that the employer is "spoiled," despite acknowledging he's a "conscientious worker," encapsulates her complex judgment: a recognition of some merit undermined by a fundamental flaw in character and the corrupting influence of absolute power and adoration. The final, almost taunting, repetition of "Oh, that was good, Your Majesty!" delivered after describing the "toads" begging for a "kick," leaves a bitter taste, underscoring the narrator's profound disillusionment with the entire power structure.