Yes, I remember the popcorn scene every time I hear it, and it's a fantastic piece to dance to.
But I think the meaning is much darker than it might seem. I think it was about twenty years ahead of its time. I see the basic meaning is that greed will destroy the culture.
Of course, this can't be what the poet meant. But Reader Response critical theory is based on the idea that a piece means what it means to the reader, and it is valid even to others if it can be backed up by what's in the text.
But here's what I see. This is a guy in his 20s who's out of college and working either in sales or middle management. He's seen that he either has to join the greed game or get off the grid. (Starting here, this goes pretty much line by line.) That's difficult because, thanks to technology, any agency or employer can find you, even while they sleep. But you'll be being a good little boy and behaving in ways that aren't natural to you because we all want it all.
Yes, he wants to move ahead, but he hates turning his back on his true self and becoming the corporate clone required. He asks his girl to help him decide which route to take and help him enjoy his freedom because if he sells out, it won't last. And it's the only game in town because everybody wants it all.
But maybe it would be better for the two of them to get out of the whole thing and off the grid because it's all falling to pieces, anyway. He tells his girl that when it all falls apart, he'll be there for her. He's almost glad it is all ending soon, but it is sad that people messed it all up by everyone wanting to have it all.
At that point, he makes a decision. He can't play the game. He hates the whole committee structure of the corporate world that slows decisions so no one has to take responsibility. He hates the utter stupidity of the morons who continue to pump everything out of a failing culture and not even seeing that they're speeding the decline.
By the end of the song, he celebrates that he is going to remain free of the crap and enjoy being himself. Why not? Things are ending, but then, nothing lasts forever.
