Meaning of "Safe as Houses" by China Crisis

The lyrics of "Safe as Houses" convey a sense of disillusionment and resignation towards life, reflecting a feeling of distrust in the world around the speaker. The repeated references to being "busy, busy everybody" suggest a feeling of being overwhelmed and disconnected from the people and events around them. The metaphor of building "safe as houses" on quicksand highlights the speaker's acknowledgment that their foundation is unstable, yet they continue to engage in shady dealings and trust unreliable individuals. The lines "I shook up my world and stood back in amazement" can be interpreted as the speaker disrupting their own life, only to realize the emptiness and lack of value in the world they inhabit. Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of someone who has resigned themselves to a life of distrust, busyness, and disconnection, unable or unwilling to make significant changes.