This is an enigmatic song - what's happening: a serial killer on a rampage? The return of Jesus on Earth?
I just assumed it was about a woman who has become unhinged after being abandoned by a lover and walks the streets of the town waiting in vain for him to return for her. Or maybe I'm taking too literal an interpretation.
That's the more or less standard interpretation, and the only one that ever made coherent sense to me.
I recall back in the 1970's there were some who tried to leverage the 'mansion in the sky' bit to reframe it as some sort of Christian-themed storyline. The music was readily accepted into a gospel context. However, the lyrics connoted enough secular / personal malaise (e.g., 'crazy', aged 41 and still called 'baby', actions unavoidably insinuating delusion) that it made the focal subject (person) seem desperate rather than devout, and hence nullified the song as something glorifying the Christian belief system.
I'd say it was akin to the less-than-exalting impression given by Leonard Cohen's Suzanne in stating Jesus eventually "knew for certain only drowning men could see him."
Angela Alverson said:This song was written to promote John Keel's book "Jadoo." The composer and performers are unknown.
sych:
There's a surprising number of songs with lyrics about insanity and incarceration in some sort of asylum, if you stop and think about it.
Just off the top of my head:
Ozzy's "Diary of a Madman"
Nazareth's "Suitable Case For Treatment"
Motorhead's "Funny Farm"
Blue Oyster Cult's "Great Sun Jester" (arguably)
Roger Miller's "I'm a Nut" (very nearly qualifies)
...and surely a great many more.
Oh and of course this thing:
not really a "funny" song at all, if you read the lyrics.
Disturbing...
A Fortean, dog-headed woman?Wait a minute - They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Ha is sung (well, spoken) from a man who has been abandoned by his dog. So how could a dog record an answer song?
A Fortean, dog-headed woman?
A Fortean, dog-headed woman?
I think you're missing the point that's it's a comedy song.
Yup, my take on it is that it's a dog to whom he has become overly attached.