Lather
Lather's Journey: Embracing Youth, Fame, and the Unraveling of Time
Lyrics
Lather was thirty years old today
Lather celebrates his 30th birthday.
They took away all of his toys
Lather's possessions or enjoyments are taken away.
His mother sent newspaper clippings to him
His mother sends news clippings about friends no longer youthful.
About his old friends who'd stopped being boys
References friends who have grown up and left their boyhood.
There was Harwitz E. Green, just turned thirty-three
Harwitz E. Green is mentioned, aged 33.
His leather chair waits at the bank
Harwitz has a position at the bank, symbolizing a conventional life.
And Seargent Dow Jones, twenty-seven years old
Seargent Dow Jones, 27, has a military career.
Commanding his very own tank
Dow Jones commands his tank, representing authority.
But Lather still finds it a nice thing to do
Lather enjoys lying nude in the sand as a pleasurable activity.
To lie about nude in the sand
Engages in artistic expression by drawing mountains in the sand.
Drawing pictures of mountains that look like bumps
Describes the drawn mountains as resembling bumps.
And thrashing the air with his hands
Lather expresses himself physically by thrashing the air with his hands.
But wait, oh Lather's productive you know
Despite seeming unproductive, Lather creates fine music.
He produces the finest of sound
Describes Lather's musical talent, emphasizing drumstick performance.
Putting drumsticks on either side of his nose
Lather uses unconventional methods like snorting to create unique sounds.
Snorting the best licks in town
Highlights Lather's exceptional musical abilities.
But that's all over
Implies a shift or change in Lather's life or abilities.
Lather was thirty years old today
Repeats the celebration of Lather turning 30.
And Lather came foam from his tongue
Lather experiences a foam-like reaction, possibly metaphorical.
He looked at me eyes wide and plainly said
Lather questions whether he is still young.
Is it true that I'm no longer young?
Lather seeks confirmation about his youth from someone else.
And the children call him famous
Children consider Lather famous, contrasting with the old men who find him insane.
What the old men call insane
Older individuals view Lather as mentally unstable.
And sometimes he's so nameless
Lather sometimes feels anonymous, unsure of the appropriate actions.
That he hardly knows which game to play
Lather struggles with identity and the choice of actions or words.
Which words to say
Lamenting a missed opportunity to reassure Lather about his age.
And I should have told him, no, you're not old
Suggests the speaker should have encouraged Lather's positive outlook.
And I should have let him go on, smiling, baby wide
Expresses regret for not allowing Lather to continue smiling and being carefree.
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