How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

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About

Genius Annotation

In this 1940 poem, W. H. Auden (1907-1973) conflates the history of ancient Rome with what he sees as the bleak realities of modern life. Implicitly diagnosing our civilization with the same maladies–cultural decadence, intellectual preciosity, bureaucratic incompetence–that historians like Edward Gibbon (The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire) have blamed for Rome’s downfall, he prophesies apocalyptic doom for all humanity. (Meanwhile, the little birds are waiting to take over from us, and the reindeer don’t care.)

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

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