Why: Simplified Song Interpretations: Cigarette
At first glance, the following interpretation may appear to be incorrect:
"Cigarette" (about a house accidentally burning down) is probably meant to be short but poignant but only succeeds in being short. – Jack Feeny
Cigarette's lyrics consist of one run on sentence: "Fred Jones was worn out from caring for his often screaming and crying wife during the day, but he couldn't sleep at night for fear that she, in a stupor from the drugs that didn't ease the pain, would set the house ablaze with a cigarette."
So one could argue that the song is not about a house burning down, but instead Fred's struggles and worries as a result of caring for his wife. No house actually burns down in the song. However, this sentence was borrowed (word for word) by Ben from a newspaper article about this man and his new wife, who developed a brain disorder shortly after their marriage, took up smoking, and yes, burned down the house.
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