Power Failure
Leo Kottke Lyrics

The lyrics to Leo Kottke’s version of Power Failure are a poetic and vivid description of chaos and destruction, perhaps within the context of a natural disaster like a tornado. The opening lines suggest a sense of urgency and danger, as people flee from crumbling buildings, and the use of present participles creates a sense of ongoing action or movement. The second stanza continues this theme, with descriptions of people and objects being tossed around, broken, and battered by the forces around them. The line “rushed across and shown alone” could suggest a feeling of abandonment, as survivors struggle to make sense of the aftermath of the disaster.

The final stanza seems to refer to the aftermath of the event, with people struggling to communicate and put their lives back together. The phrase “speech reduced by poor relations” could indicate that people are struggling to find the words to express their experiences or connect with others, while the reference to “greazy/Spark plugs” and “power’s fused” suggests that the disaster may have been caused by some kind of power surge or electrical malfunction. Overall, the lyrics create a vivid and haunting picture of a chaotic and destructive event, while also hinting at the difficult process of recovery and rebuilding.