| Trickle Down references | ||
|
"...Belly up, all the drinks are on the Crown" This one is obvious, but I figured I'd include it for the sake of those readers not up on their British Common Law terminology, or folks who just don't watch those thrilling Court Dramas on the CBC. The "Crown" referenced in this lyric may be the prosecution side of a legal equation in any provincial or federal legal proceeding. The name derives from the fact that if you screw up in Canada, you're actually being tried and judged by the Head of State... and I hear Liz is a real no-nonesense kinda girl, so stay outta trouble if ya know what's good for ya! The Crown is also the term reserved for the federal government and its holdings, "Crown Land," etc. The Crown being symbolic of the Government of Canada since we are a Constitutional Monarchy. Canada has an elected legislature and Prime Minister but a largely symbolic and ceremonial appointed Head of State. "The Crown" is used colloquially to refer to all of it. Needless to say, whatever the circumstance, the above lyric is essentially saying "the drinks are on the government," or as we used to say around Parliament Hill whenever free drinks arose, "the Queen provides." Also, "trickle down economics" was the popular term for the conservative economic theory sweeping the Western World at the time of conception for "Up To Here." The most famous expression of this theory, which claimed that wealth at the executive and elite levels would "trickle down" to workers and laymen, was embodied in the saying: "a rising tide lifts all boats." Now, it would take one helluva tide to lift one boat, let alone all, which is largely why the whole idea of trickle down economics was dismissed as "voodoo" by most in the 1990's. Thanks to Alexandra Peterson for the refresher. |