Vampire Weekend: Oxford Comma Meaning

Oxford Comma Lyrics

Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?
I've seen those English dramas too
They're cruel
So if there's any other way
To spell the word
It's fine with me, with me

Why would you speak to me that way
Especially when I always said that I...

1. anonymous

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   Jul 16th 2018 !⃝

   "Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?
   I've seen those English dramas, too
   They're cruel
   So if there's any other way
   To spell the word, it's fine with me
   With me" - Old English writing had commas used far more often than today, they were all over the place and not needed.
   
   "Why would you speak to me that way?
   Especially when I always said that I
   Haven't got the words for you
   All your diction, dripping with disdain
   Through the pain, I always tell the truth" - Diction is a style of speech or writing, he's already admitted he doesn't have any thoughts on the person he's addressing, so he is wondering why someone (who is implied to be hostile) is speaking to him with 'disdain'.
   
   "Why would you lie about how much coal you have?
   Why would you lie about something dumb like that?
   Why would you lie about anything at all?
   First the window, then it's to the wall
   Little John, he always tells the truth" After the MLA Convention made Oxford commas optional, this piece talks about how you can lie by not using an oxford comma about how much coal you have. An Example without an Oxford Comma: "I have 10 pounds of iron, 15 pound of wood and 15 pounds of coal". But without it you can imply the same thing regardless of whether you actually have 15 pounds of coal or not; "I have 10 pounds of iron, 15 pounds of wood, and coal". Through the window to the wall means all the way through, so he's saying it's a solid lie through a room.
   
   "Show your paintings
   At the United Nations
   Little John, he always tells the truth" - The United Nations writes resolutions using dozens of commas, colons, semicolons, with only one period allowed at the end it's one giant run-on sentence given the resolutions can be dozens of pages long. Example: https://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc11859.doc.htm

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