the song is about her childhood house that was gifted to her as a married woman and now they are divorcing and he wants his have. the song takes place on the last day before the sale and they/she needs to know ware they are at at this point the she turns her back on him, starts to cry, and gos into the thought proses of memories which are interrupted near the end of the song by him talking about ware they are at. she is not really listening to him because she doesn’t care what he has to say. then the tempo changes because her thought proses is broken and she says “hmm,… what ch say,… oh yah of course. what ever you say. (because she just wants to get through it.) then back into thought ransom notes keep falling out your mouth. the amount of his have from the sale of her child hood home and the settlement.

Thank you thank you thank you
Good night.

Possibly, she could had a moment with a guy.
“Oily marks appear on walls
Where pleasure moments hung before.
The takeover, the sweeping insensitivity of this
still life.”

but he already has a lover which explains the conversation
“Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that you only meant well? Well, of course you did.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that it’s all for the best? Ah off course it is.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that it’s just what we need? And you decided this.
Mmm what you say?
What did she say?”

She thinks he should be with her, and ransom notes are falling out of his mouth. but hes not saying how he feels, and she doesnt believe him.
She thinks that he doesnt care a bit.

The link neb has almost the same thought, but I think its really the house they’ve just moved out of, and trains/sewing machines signifies the parent roles from the child’s perception.

First verse is disbelief, looking at the “crop circles” the furniture made in the carpet.
Second, memories of hide and seek (playing, growing up). Trains (dad going to work) sewing machines (mom the domestic). It all happened here first (but not any more).
Third, oily marks on walls are the spots from where pictures hung- still life is the empty house because it seems dead now.
Fourth, same, just added “blood and tears”, more memories.
The last verses are the discussion with the parents, who try to make light of the issue, or even down to “ransom” of the child’s life/heart etc. Clearly the child doesnt believe the parents care.

It’s a great song.

industrial revolution could be it … who’s being criticized tho?

I think it’s about children getting hurt in factories.

To me, there’s definitely a theme about the industrial revolution; trains and sewing machines harken back to a simpler time, and the writer sounds none to happy about modern society.