Light Pollution
Bright Eyes Lyrics

John A. Hobson was a good man
John A. Hobson was a man who cared about others and was kind to the singer.

He used to loan me books and mic stands
He used to lend the singer books and equipment to help him with his passion of making music.

He even got me a subscription to the Socialist Review
He went out of his way to help the singer be informed about socialism by getting him a subscription to the socialist review.

Listening to records in his basement
In his basement, John and the artist enjoyed listening to music together.

Old folk songs about the government
They listened to old folk songs that were critical of the government.

"It's love of money, not the market"
John believed that capitalism was not the solution to world problems, as it prioritizes profit above all else.

He said, "these fuckers push on you"
John was critical of the people who profit from capitalism, and he felt that these people put pressure on individuals to follow their system.

"And freedom yells, it don't cry
Freedom is not passive; it is a force to be reckoned with.

Whatever sells will decide
The market and the people who profit from it will ultimately have the most influence on what products are available and what ideas are popular.

But there's no hell when you die
Death is not something to be feared, as there is no eternal punishment or reward after death.

So don't look so worried"
Don't worry about what happens after death; instead focus on how you live your life.

He got a night life, lost his day job
John lost his job, but he found other ways to spend his time, such as going out at night.

Pushing papers, swinging pendulums
John likely picked up odd jobs like office work or manual labor.

Anything to serve a function
John took any job that helped him and others survive.

Or to occupy some time
He also took up jobs simply to have something to do with his time.

You gotta earn this living somehow
You need a job to make ends meet in this society.

You're good as dead without a bank account
Without a means to store and earn money, you are essentially destitute.

But it's funny how alive he felt down
John found a sense of community and purpose in unexpected places, such as the unemployment line.

In that unemployment line
Despite the despair of unemployment, John found a sense of connection and empathy with fellow unemployed people.

With all that trash at his feet
The physical environment of the unemployment line was chaotic and unpleasant.

The pools of piss in the street
The streets were dirty and gross, with bodily fluids pooled in public places.

All of that filthy empathy
Despite the chaos and unpleasantness, John felt a sense of solidarity and compassion for his fellow unemployed workers.

For the way we're feeling
John could empathize with the anger and frustration of those in the unemployment line.

The billboards shade
The ads and marketing of corporations can be overwhelming and oppressive.

The flags they wave
Patriotic symbols can be used in manipulative ways by those in power.

The anthem was playing loud
The singer might be in a stadium or public space with the national anthem playing loudly.

The baseball game was letting out
The singer was at a baseball game that just ended.

And all at once
Suddenly, in the midst of all these loud, oppressive symbols and systems, something shifted.

He saw the dust
John noticed the small details of his surroundings, such as the dust on the road.

And heard every tiny sound
He became hyperaware of his surroundings and all the small sounds around him.

Got in his truck and turned around
He decided to leave those oppressive spaces and systems behind.

Drove out through the crowd and the cops
John left the public gathering, amidst police presence.

Drove out past that center mall
He left the center of consumption, a place of constant sensory overload.

Drove out past that sickening sprawl
He left the urban sprawl that seemed to go on endlessly.

Out past that fenced in gold
He left behind the manicured, wealthy areas that are fenced off from the rest of the world.

And maybe he lost control
Perhaps in this moment of leaving everything behind, he felt a sense of chaos and confusion.

Fucking with the radio
He may have been trying to find something that would give him comfort or distraction on the radio.

But I bet the stars seemed so close
Despite the chaos, John may have felt a sense of tranquility and connection to the universe in that moment.

At the end
This moment of clarity and escape marked the end of the oppressive systems that John was surrounded by.

At the end
It is a moment of true freedom and a break from the monotony of everyday life.