Paper Mache
Rita Calypso(리타 칼립소) Lyrics

Twenty houses in a row
A description of a uniform street of houses, conveying a sense of sameness and lack of uniqueness.

eighty people watch a TV show
A depiction of how many people are consumed with entertainment and passive consumption, rather than active engagement with the world.

paper people, cardboard dreams
A metaphor for how superficial and fabricated people's desires and aspirations can be.

how unreal the whole thing seems
A recognition of the unnerving feeling that comes with realizing the world is not what it seems, and that one's existence may be akin to living in a facade.

Can we be living in a world
A rhetorical question that asks readers to consider the possibility of the world being something other than it appears.

made of paper mache
A comparison of the world to a fragile, insubstantial substance that can be easily damaged or broken.

everything is clean and so neat
An observation of the surface level order and sterility of the world.

anything that's wrong
Acknowledgement that not everything is perfect and that problems and flaws exist.

can be just swept away
The implication that issues can be disregarded or swept under the rug, rather than being addressed.

spray it with cologne
Suggests that an issue can be temporarily masked, but not truly resolved.

and the whole world smells sweet
Indicates that surface-level maintenance can make things superficially palatable, but that deeper problems remain unresolved.

Ice-cream cones and candy bars
A portrayal of the trivial pleasures that can fill life and distract from its complexities.

swings and things like bicycles and cars
Further examples of simple aspects of life that can serve as distractions from the larger questions and issues at play.

there is a sale on happiness
A statement that suggests happiness is something that can be easily obtained or purchased.

you buy two and it costs less
An ironic assertion that even though happiness is supposedly on sale, it is in fact something that cannot be measured or bought.

Read the papers keep aware
An injunction to stay aware and informed of the world beyond one's own immediate experience.

While you're lounging in your leather chair
A reminder that people can be comfortable and insulated, but that the world beyond persists.

And if things don't look so good
Acknowledgement that things may not always appear good or promising.

shake your head and knock on wood
An ironic statement that suggests human superstition and the desire to stave off misfortune, rather than engaging with and addressing the systemic issues at play.

Like paper mache
A repetition of the earlier metaphor, underscoring its significance in the song's overall commentary.