To me, the song seems to be pictures of the social layer of society with uninvolvement being one key, shallowness another, and also takes a nice poke at the observer and reporter.

I found several sets of lyrics on the internet and finally used a set that seemed closest to my memory. Pleasures of the Harbor was a favorite album and among the first that I copied to the computer. Some of Ochs songs do not wear as well now as they once did but still like "Flower Lady" and "Pleasures of the Harbor".