# Another What does this song mean? thread. Tin Man **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336 "2016-11-28T23:54:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336/1 "2016-11-28T23:54:46Z")
So I’m playing a FaceBook game (shut up!) and the music that plays in the background sounds very much like America’s Tin Man. Had to listen to it to get it out of my head. Then I started thinking about the song-- never a good idea. What the hell are they singing about? People talk bullshit? The Wizard of Oz was a con man? About taking a bath or something (soapsuds green as hell?) Where in the hell is the tropic of Sir Galahad? ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336/2 "2016-11-29T00:13:03Z")
I believe Cecil himself addressed the Tropic of Sir Galahad. IIRC, its an archaic term, but still discoverable in the dictionary. Until I checked the lyrics online, I didn’t realize how few lyrics the song has. I also don’t know why they focus on the Tin Man, all of the protagonists more or less had what they needed. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336/3 "2016-11-29T00:25:27Z")
According to Wikipedia, its song writer’s Dewey’s stream of consciousnesses writing. So its one of those songs with cool lyrics that don’t mean much … or do they? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336/4 "2016-11-29T01:18:20Z")
When you play it backwards, it says “The Cowardly Lion is dead.” ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336/5 "2016-11-29T01:35:37Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > According to Wikipedia, its song writer’s Dewey’s stream of consciousnesses writing. So its one of those songs with cool lyrics that don’t mean much … or do they? Right. This is from the [box set booklet](http://www.accessbackstage.com/america/song/song036.htm): > [@](#): > > Bunnell unravels the lyric as follows: “My favorite move of all time was probably The Wizard Of Oz, it still amazes me how great that movie is. And here’s my classic use of bad grammar: ‘Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man…’ Another god-awful use of the language. But it served the purpose. But that was really the only cohesive thought I had. How do I convey that? The first verse–I guess that was a little bit of paranoia. We were being exposed to more and more sophisticated people, and there were times that I found myself with my foot in my mouth, saying things I wish I hadn’t. The first verse is very ambiguous. ‘The Tropic of Sir Gallahad’ is a whole other image to me about being chivalrous or a gentleman. ‘Spinning round, round, round, smoke glass stain bright colors…’–that’s all just purely kaleidoscopic imagery. The melody definitely dictated those words, because it was a swirling, rising thing.” ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336/6 "2016-11-29T05:48:57Z")
Always makes me chuckle a bit whenever someone tries to analyze America’s lyrics. (America the band, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336/7 "2016-11-29T06:23:57Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Always makes me chuckle a bit whenever someone tries to analyze America’s lyrics. (America the band, of course.) Yes, this. As a desert denizen, one of their songs just makes me roll my eyes every time. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336/8 "2016-11-29T21:16:33Z")
Just name the damn horse, already! And learn a few more chords while you’re at it. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336/9 "2016-11-29T21:49:48Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > I also don’t know why they focus on the Tin Man, all of the protagonists more or less had what they needed. I remember a DJ back in the day making a lamely risqué joke about how “Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man that he didn’t already have” was the news he got from a doctor at the free clinic. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-does-this-song-mean-thread-tin-man/773336/10 "2016-11-30T12:53:55Z")
You are _not_ going to find deep meaning in any America song. See also Yes.