Lyrics
Meanwhile the scientist, pounding on his skull, his skull
Scientist intensely contemplating, possibly struggling with ideas
Two blew themselves away working on it
Two scientists faced tragic consequences while working on something
In storms the general grabbed him by his collar, his collar
General confronts the scientist, questioning their ideas
"Well you old crackpot, what have you got to say?"
General sarcastically asks for the crackpot's opinion
In an open field, man is guilty always
Reflection on human guilt in an open field
In an open field, man is guilty always
-Mud is yellow and the ground is moving
Visual imagery of mud, yellow color, and moving ground
Sun is yellow and the ground is moving
-The ground is moving
-The century turned and your old man stumbled in
Reference to the turn of the century, an old man advocating for peace
The century turned and your old man stumbled in
-Saying "Of course I am for peace, of course I am for peace
Old man supports peace but with conditions - "One that suits me"
One that suits me"
-One that suits me
Repetition of the desire for a peace that suits the speaker
One that suits me
-One that does
-For the first time the captain's at my side
The captain is now supportive or aligned with the speaker
Look now, here the Padre comes
The Padre (a religious figure) is introduced, about to take a break
Here he comes
-About to go on his lunchbreak
-"Son you and I both know the real criminal is time
The Padre comments on the criminal nature of time and questions youth
I understand your crime, your crime
-But just what makes you think you've got the right to be young?"
-In an open field man is guilty always (In the open, man guilty always)
Reiteration of human guilt in an open field
In an open field man is guilty always (In the open, man guilty always)
-Mud is yellow and the ground is moving (Mud yellow, ground moving)
Continuation of vivid imagery with mud, yellow color, and moving ground
Sun is yellow and the ground is moving (Sun yellow, ground moving)
-The ground is moving
-The century turned and your old man stumbled in
Old man reiterates support for peace, emphasizing it should suit him
The century turned and your old man stumbled in saying
-"Of course I am for peace, of course I am for peace
-One that suits me, one that suits me
-One that suits me, one that does"
-One that suits me, one that suits me
Repetition of the desire for a peace that suits the speaker
One that suits me, one that suits me
-One that suits me, one that suits me
-One that does
-And now the mother of them all
Introduction of the "mother of them all" about to fall, symbolic of a major event in history softening reality
She is just about to fall
-In the history of man, reality becomes softened
-And now the mother of them all
Reiteration of the imminent fall of the "mother of them all" and its impact on human history
She is just about to fall
-In the history of man, reality becomes softened
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