Song meaning of How Long? (Live in St. Augustine) by Vampire Weekend

Ah, "How Long?" by Vampire Weekend, huh? Well, let's dive right into this lyrical puzzle, shall we? The song starts off with the singer declaring that making tough choices is a joke because apparently, their life is a joke and your life is just full of gas, like you've been eating too many beans or something. And brace yourselves, because this heartbreak happened at midnight mass! Now, the singer claims to be the ghost of Christmas past, which is a bit confusing, but hey, who am I to judge? Then we move on to the chorus, where they question how long it'll take for them to sink to the bottom of the sea, because apparently, that's the natural progression of things. And they seem to have a particular interest in sinking with just you. Yikes! In the second verse, we explore the deep philosophical questions of life. Why bother getting clean if you'll just end up wearing the same old dirty jeans? What's the point of being seen when there are eyes out there that are just cruel and mean? And why has it felt like Halloween since Christmas 2017? Maybe they dressed up as a creepy ghost, who knows? Then we come back to the chorus and post-chorus, where the sinking theme continues, as if it's the only thing keeping this song afloat. Finally, in the last verse, we learn that getting to the top was never meant to be hard, but somehow, the house is on Mulholland Drive, the car's on Sunset Boulevard, and nobody has the registration key. But fear not, my friends, because they suggest living down in the flats, as apparently hills always fall eventually. So, in conclusion, "How Long?" is a whimsical, existential exploration of sinking, dirty jeans, and the confusing geography of Los Angeles. Life is indeed a gas, my friends!