The Werewolf
Paul Simon Lyrics

Milwaukee man led a fairly decent life
The singer of the song lived an average life in Milwaukee.

Made a fairly decent living, had a fairly decent wife
He had a decent life with a job and a wife.

She killed him ah, sushi knife
His wife murdered him with a Japanese kitchen knife.

Now they're shopping for a fairly decent afterlife
Both of them are now dead and looking for a decent afterlife.

The werewolf is coming
The werewolf is a metaphor for impending doom and chaos.

The fact is most obits are mixed reviews
Most obituaries have both positive and negative things to say about the deceased.

Life is a lottery, a lotta people lose
Life is unpredictable and many people don't have happy endings.

And the winners, the grinners with money-colored eyes
Rich people who have won in life and always smile are described.

Eat all the nuggets, then they order extra fries
These people indulge in excess even when they already have enough.

I hear her howling, prowling on the hills
The werewolf is a symbol of impending doom which seems to be closing in.

Ignorance and arrogance, a national debate
The country is debating the merits and the problems of ignorance and arrogance.

Put the fight in Vegas, that's a billion dollar gate
The song suggests that the fight and spectacle of the Vegas shows is a embodiment of the problem of ignorance and arrogance in our society.

Revenues, pay per views, it should be pretty healthy
The corruption and spectacle of the situation is making those involved a lot of money.

The usual productions, and it all goes to the wealthy
The rich who are involved in the corrupt spectacle are getting richer.

I'm not complaining, just the opposite my friend
The singer is not critical, but rather accepts things the way they are.

I know it's raining, but we're coming to the end
The inevitability of doom is certain and the bad weather is only a symbol of that.

Of the world, of the lyin' and the spyin' through
The world is corrupt with lies and spying.

Oh, you don't know me?
The singer is questioning if the listener truly understands him.

Ok, I don't know you, too
The singer admits that he also doesn't fully understand the listener.

You better stock up on water, canned goods off the shelves
Impending doom is once again suggested advising people to prepare for scarcity.

And loot some for the old folks who can't loot for themselves
The artist suggests that in times of hardship, it becomes necessary to loot for those who can't do it themselves.

The doorbell's ringing, could be the elves
The sudden sound of the doorbell ringing is raising the tension and the paranoia that something bad is going to happen.

But it's probably the werewolf, it's quarter to twelve
The singer believes that the inevitable doom is getting closer.

And when it's midnight, and the wolf bites
Midnight represents the end of time and the wolf's bite is a metaphor for the final strike of doom.

It's a full moon, she really got the appetite
A full moon signifies the height of activity for the werewolf and reinforces the idea of inevitable doom.

The werewolf's coming (The werewolf, the werewolf)
The song concludes with the refrain again reinforcing the message of doom.