The First Thing You Know

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a world where divine creation is systematically undone by human intervention. Initially, the narrator acknowledges a benevolent creator who fashioned the planet with care, but this pristine state is quickly disrupted. The core of the critique lies in the concept of "civilizing," which, in this context, means corrupting and destroying natural beauty and order. It’s a process that turns God’s well-intentioned designs into something worse, a place where true beauty and even natural elements like snow can no longer exist. The central tension arises from this contrast between divine intent and human action. The narrator observes how people "gum it up good," transforming hills into undesirable urban sprawls and prettiness into concrete jungles. This "civilizing" is presented as a destructive force, paradoxically creating environments that are too harsh even for the elements they claim to tame. The repeated phrase "The first thing you know" acts as a narrative device, marking the inevitable and often surprising progression of this decay, a swift descent from natural grace to human-made chaos. The most striking aspect of the writing is the ironic use of "civilize." What is typically associated with progress and improvement is here depicted as a force of degradation. The lyrics suggest a profound disillusionment with societal development, where efforts to impose order result in disorder, and the pursuit of freedom leads to its opposite. This is further highlighted by the inversion of justice, where the "boozer's in prison" but the "criminal, he isn't," and only the "rascals have dough," indicating a societal breakdown where morality and fairness are completely skewed. This lyrical construction is effective because it taps into a deep-seated unease about the consequences of unchecked human ambition. The narrator’s final, abrupt departure – "I pick up and blow!" – underscores a feeling of helplessness and a desire to escape a world that has become fundamentally broken. The song’s power comes from its bleak, yet pointed, observation of how human endeavors, under the guise of improvement, can lead to a profound and irreversible loss of what was once good and natural.