Ghost of Corporate Future
Regina Spektor Lyrics

A man walks out of his apartment
Our protagonist sets out into the gloomy outside world.

It is raining
Water is falling from the sky.

He's got no umbrella
Regrettably, the man lacks a device to shield himself from the precipitation.

He starts running beneath the awnings
He flees on foot, under coverings attached to buildings.

Trying to save his suit
He endeavors to safeguard his clothing from becoming soaked.

Trying to save his suit
Once again, he tries to preserve his garments.

Tryin' to dryin' to tryin' to dry but no good
Despite his valiant efforts, he cannot seem to achieve a dry state.

When he gets to the crowded subway platform
After some time, he arrives at a station where trains regularly stop to pick up and drop off passengers.

He takes off both of his shoes
Perhaps due to a conversation with a specter, he elects to remove footwear from both feet.

He steps right into somebody's fat loogie
Quite unluckily, one of the blobs of mucus left by someone was encountered by the man's bare foot.

And everyone who sees him says "ew"
Individuals who witness the misfortune audibly express disgust.

Everyone who sees him says "ew"
Even more individuals react with the same sentiment.

But he doesn't care
Unsurprisingly, the gross occurrence doesn't faze him at all.

Cause last night he got a visit
The previous evening, an apparition made contact with him.

From the ghost of corporate future
The paranormal encounter was had with a specter that might represent what businesses will become.

The ghost said take off both your shoes
With a message presumably coming from the other side, instructions were given to remove shoes from both feet.

Whatever chances you get
Opportunities should be taken advantage of whenever possible.

Especially when they're wet
Especially so when they happen to be wet.

He also said
Furthermore, the apparition shared another thought.

Imagine you go away on a business trip one day
A hypothetical scenario was introduced, where a commute for work might take place.

And when you come back home
Following the trip mentioned, returning to the starting point occurs.

Your children have grown and you never made your wife moan
Upon reaching home, the artist discovers family members that have notably matured since last seeing them. Unfortunately, he is burdened by knowledge that he left the significant other unsatisfied in the past.

You children have grown and you never made your wife moan
Once again, the troubling thought of unfulfilled marital obligation is mentioned.

And people make you nervous
The presence of other humans causes anxiousness.

You'd think the world was ending
The nervous state is so severe that the assumption is made that the apocalypse is nearly upon us.

And everybody's features have somehow started blending
In the state of agitation, certain facial characteristics appear to blend together.

And everything is plastic
To further the anxiety, the surroundings give the impression of being constructed of an unnatural material.

And everyone's sarcastic
The general demeanor of the people encountered is sarcastic, which he finds unpleasant.

And all your food is frozen
Not even the sustenance he eats as a necessity is exempt from troubling properties.

It needs to be defrosted
To be edible, an extra step is required of thawing the food.

You'd think the world was ending
Reemphasizing the anxious state he is in.

You'd think the world was ending
Once again, reminding us of his severely distressed state.

You'd think the world was ending right now
The current times give the impression of a pending catastrophic event.

Well maybe you should just drink a lot less coffee
A possible solution to calm his nerves is suggested.

And never ever watch the ten o'clock news
Fearing the worst is generated by the news is a probable source of anxiety.

Maybe you should kiss someone nice
Positive human interaction, such as a romantic kiss, might alleviate the tension.

Or lick a rock
Ingesting the mineral matter on the ground is put forward as an odd suggestion that could have a positive impact.

Or both
The previous two propositions can be expanded upon by combining them.

Maybe you should cut your own hair
Self-styling the hair on his head would be another unusual activity that could result in easing tension.

Cause that can be so funny
Entertainment might ironically come from making oneself look ridiculous.

It doesn't cost any money
Another benefit is that it can be done without spending currency.

And it always grows back
If an unsatisfactory hairstyle is achieved, it isn't permanent.

Hair grows even after you're dead
It's a somewhat morbid thought, but even after death, bodily hair maintains its own growth cycle.

People are just people
Overcoming the discomfort from the actions of others comes with the realization that they are merely individuals like himself.

They shouldn't make you nervous
Putting things into perspective, anxiety is an unnecessary condition when it comes to dealing with others.

The world is everlasting
The planet Earth has existed for billions of years and will continue to exist for billions more.

It's coming and it's going
The life cycles of all living things can be measured in the span of the Earth's existence.

If you don't toss your plastic
In order to preserve the wellbeing of the planet for all living beings, plastic waste should be properly disposed of in the trash.

The streets won't be so plastic
Without littering and taking garbage carelessly, the streets and public areas will have a more natural feel.

And if you kiss somebody
A cause for celebration, sharing the intimate moment with someone will give both participants a greater understanding of what they want in their romantic relationships.

Then both of you'll get practice
Repeating kissing practice with a partner will bring both parties to an improved level.

Put dirtballs in your pockets
Carrying around balls of dirt in the pockets is a slightly unpredictable suggestion coming from our protagonist.

Put dirtballs in your pockets
Once again, the idea of dirty objects being kept in pockets is presented.

And take off both your shoes
As stated previously, the same message comes from the apparition again.

Cause people are just people
To further reiterate the important thought that people are simply individuals like oneself.

People are just people
The reemphasis of people's nature as individuals.

People are just people like you
Ending on a positive, optimistic note, all people have the nature of being like oneself.