Metaphores

[Ritolas]

Hi everybody !

I am a Portuguese student, and for a homework I'm suppose to present a protest song and do it's interpretation.

I choose Hey ma from James (great song!),
but it contains some expression that I was not able to find the meaning anywhere.

...
Black swans on your picnic table
Knocking over the jam
...
Scratch the surface of liberals
There's a beast underneath
Others hiding their Jekylls
...

Thanks,
Rita

[emsr2d2]

Hi everybody !

I am a Portuguese student, and for a homework I'm suppose to present a protest song and do it's interpretation.

I choose Hey ma from James (great song!),
but it contains some expression that I was not able to find the meaning anywhere.

...
Black swans on your picnic table
Knocking over the jam
...
Scratch the surface of liberals
There's a beast underneath
Others hiding their Jekylls
...

Thanks,
Rita

Honestly?! Not a clue. I don't think these are recognised English metaphors. This is the problem with song lyrics. Lyricists can string together any old collection of words for their songs in order to fit the rhythm and the rhyme. They don't necessarily make sense!

[Raymott]

Hi everybody !

I am a Portuguese student, and for a homework I'm suppose to present a protest song and do it's interpretation.

I choose Hey ma from James (great song!),
but it contains some expression that I was not able to find the meaning anywhere.

...
Black swans on your picnic table
Knocking over the jam
...
Scratch the surface of liberals
There's a beast underneath
Others hiding their Jekylls
...

Thanks,
Rita

Have you considered that the first one might actually be about black swans knocking over the jam on your picnic table? That's something to protest about.

Look for the pun in:
Others hiding [Hyding] their Jekylls
Is it possible that 'liberals' (or others) aren't what they seem, or change behaviour for no apparent reason?

[BobK]

Incidentally, the word is 'metaphors' - although the word МЄТАФΩРЄЅ does appear on the side of Greek removals vans, which gives a hint of what the word means.

As to the last three lines, 'Scratch the surface [of something] and you will find [something else hiding]' is a common expression - example: 'Scratch the surface of a sales rep and you'll find a conman'. (I don't necessarily believe that, but I wanted to show that it could apply outside politics.)

b

[Ritolas2]

Thanks a lot for helping me with your opinions and corrections!

Regards
Ritolas