Certain People I Could Name
Uncanny Reflections: Certain People I Could Name
Lyrics
The few surviving samurai survey the battlefield
The surviving samurai observe the aftermath of a battle.
Count the arms, the legs and heads and then divide by 5
They count body parts and divide the total by 5, suggesting a grim calculation.
Drenched in blood they move across the screen
The samurai, covered in blood, move across a screen, possibly a reference to a film or a visual representation.
Do I need to point or do you see the one I mean
The narrator questions if they need to explicitly point out a specific individual on the screen.
The one in back, the way he acts
The focus shifts to a character in the back and their behavior.
Is he reminding you of anyone we know
The narrator asks if this character reminds the listener of someone known.
Isn't he so like certain people I could name
Expressing similarity, the narrator states that the character is like certain people they could name.
Halfway through the thirty minutes
Halfway through a specified time period (30 minutes) and halfway around the world.
Halfway round the world
Geographical reference emphasizing a global perspective.
Here's the story on the genocidal overlord
The narrative introduces a genocidal overlord in a palace.
In the palace with her epilettes
Describing the overlord with epaulettes, indicating a military or authoritarian figure.
Watch her little gestures as she lights her cigarette
Observing the overlord's gestures while lighting a cigarette.
Look at her, you must see it too
Encouraging the listener to look at the overlord and find a resemblance to someone known.
Is she reminding you of anyone we know
The narrator questions if the overlord reminds the listener of anyone.
Isn't she so like certain people I could name
Expressing similarity, the narrator states that the overlord is like certain people they could name.
Disembodied and detached a voice describes the scene
A disembodied voice narrates a scene with detachment.
As a lizard stalks a helpless creature on TV
A lizard stalking prey on TV is described, possibly as a metaphor for manipulation or control.
Music underscores the tragedy
Music underscores a tragic event, enhancing its emotional impact.
Eyes with no expression watch the unsuspecting prey
Expressionless eyes watch unsuspecting prey, possibly commenting on societal apathy.
Who is it like, doesn't it strike
The narrator questions if the scene reminds the listener of someone specific.
You as the very image of someone we know
The narrator emphasizes the striking resemblance of the scene to someone known.
Isn't it so like certain people--how could anybody miss
Stating the obvious and uncanny resemblance, the narrator reiterates the similarity to certain people.
The obvious and the uncanny and the clear resemblance
Highlighting the clear resemblance and posing a rhetorical question about missing it.
Isn't it just like certain people I could name
Repeating the assertion that the scene is like certain people the narrator could name.
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