Greasy Heart

The lyrics portray a woman being judged and treated as an object, while the man around her seems vain, needy, and unreliable. The mood is mocking and uneasy: the song begins by questioning why he wants more from her, then exposes how both people appear to perform roles for each other. By the end, the voice urges people not to change, though the reason for that advice is deliberately strange.

Several images suggest artificial appearances. Her drawn-on lips, fading suntan, and paper dresses make her beauty seem temporary and carefully put together. The “wig” hints that the man may want to borrow her appearance or use her as part of his own act. Calling them “made in Japan” and comparing the woman to a “toy” makes the relationship sound mass-produced and controlled, rather than intimate. “Remote control hands” suggests someone else directing how she behaves.

The speaker’s advice not to change is ambiguous. It could be a sarcastic acceptance of people’s flaws and superficial habits, not sincere encouragement. The “empire” may suggest a larger social order built on these false performances, but the lyrics do not explain exactly what it means. The final image of laughing so hard that the walls crack could express release, ridicule, or simply absurdity.