Lyrics
It's a squalid little town with a tenuous beauty
Describes the town as unclean but possessing fragile beauty.
The cool wet mornings are so appealing
Highlights the attractiveness of cool, wet mornings.
People waking up suddenly in the night
Portrays people abruptly waking at night, expressing deep disappointment.
Very disappointed
Conveys a sense of profound dissatisfaction.
At the water's edge fishermen smashing their boats, taking nothing for granted
Depicts fishermen destroying their boats by the water, appreciating nothing.
In a few hours the heat will hang over town as the northeast monsoon comes roaring in
Foretells the impending heat as the northeast monsoon approaches.
Can you feel it?
Presents a query about sensing the impending change in weather.
Afghanistan Afghanistan whatever happened to you
Raises a question about the fate of Afghanistan.
I don't really care but I thought I'd ask in case it mattered to you, let me hear it
Expresses indifference but asks about Afghanistan's significance to others.
They're cutting their heads of in the soccer field
Reports violence: people losing their heads on the soccer field.
Stretching their necks in the goal
Depicts an unusual scene of stretching necks in a goal.
Taking them out in the elephant grass feeding them to the hyena's
Describes a brutal act of feeding individuals to hyenas in the elephant grass.
Don't you hear it
Presents a rhetorical question about perceiving the distressing events.
Everybody's lips are thin, eventually eyes are empty
Observes a general sense of physical and emotional emptiness in people.
This a letter from abroad life is cheaper back home
Introduces the concept of the letter being from abroad, where life is less valued.
Let me hear it
Reiterates the request to hear more about the circumstances.
You learn form novels living out there rainfall is followed by thunder
Shares a lesson learned from novels about the correlation between rainfall and thunder.
You hear a man's voice soothing and calm, 'I understand no problem'
Describes a calming voice in a difficult situation, saying 'I understand, no problem.'
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