This song explores a similar theme to Barnett’s song “Pickles From a Jar”; namely, how different personalities interact and complement each other in a relationship.

Initially, the extroverted qualities of the person Barnett is addressing seem objectively valuable and desirable – this person “always gets what [she] wants” and has “luck on [her] side”.

As the song develops, Barnett expresses that she feels comfortable with her own introverted qualities. However, this is not expressed as condemnation or rejection of the other person, but rather an appreciation of their difference.

Total Giovanni’s Nile Rogers-influenced disco track enticingly pleads with a potential lover to surrender to the pleasures of the flesh.

In doing so, the song demonstrates undeniable parallels with Andrew Marvell’s 17th century poem, To His Coy Mistress.

Both deal with the seduction of a virginal potential lover, and call upon the inexorable march of time as a reason for surrendering to pleasure. While Marvell heard Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near, for TG it “*Gets harder every day/So much harder every day**.

However, in contrast to Marvell’s 17th century poem, Paradise has at its heart an essential arrogance, as the persona is convinced of his sexual prowess (“Because I could make your flowers bloom”). This means the addressee is not necessarily a virgin per se, but simply unprepared or inexperienced in the level of pleasure promised by TG’s persona.

This ups the sexuality of the song and when combined with Vincent D’s breathy and halting delivery, sees the song Paradise simply dripping with sex.

In this song, Barnett uses the large trucks criss-crossing Australia as an allegory for the destructive powers of big business in Australia.

She catalogues the death and destruction caused by the trucks (roadkill and the human death toll) and questions whether this is worth it in order “to bring us the best price”.

This song reflects contemporary political debates in Australia regarding the level of investment in roads versus the level of investment in rail, especially for freight. In Australian current affairs magazine The Monthly, Paul Clearly analyses the competing cases for road versus rail freight in Australia. He comes to the conclusion that road freight is “expensive, dirty and dangerous”, much like Barnett’s criticisms.

These arguments may be particularly close to Barnett’s heart as a resident of Melbourne’s inner northern suburbs. From 2013 onwards, there have been major political upheavals regarding the building of East-West link , a road extension that would require extensive tunneling under these suburbs.

The younger and more environmentally conscious residents of these suburbs were critical of the plan, with the East West Link eventually scrapped after the win by Labor in the November 2014 Victorian State election.

The title “Dead Fox” is potentially a reference to Linfox, the business of Australian transport magnate Lindsay Fox.

The business is known for its distinctive red and yellow trucks.

This double meaning of “Fox” works in nicely with Barnett’s references to roadkill. Indeed, the fact that the fox is a pest animal in Australia that kills much local wildlife suggests that she intends this as a reference to Linfox.