So begins this ballad of existential woe by my newest favorite songwriter, Bill Callahan, of the band Smog. The second set of elipses, after the word "prisoners", gives you some time (A full 4/4 measure's worth) to make an assumtion about who is speaking. If you're like me, the assumption you make is that a law officer is describing his job. With the openning of the succeeding measure you find out you were right, although the job being described is other than the one you assumed--he's not taking, as in "arresting", the prisoners; he's taking the prisoners, taking them ...swimming.
You immediately slap yourself on the forehead and remember the title of the song. The intransitive verb phrase "take the prisoners", one of the all time most cold and aggressive in the lexicon, is made transitive, and in one fell swoop this law officer is imbued with sweetness.
Check this song out. He goes on to tell you about his prisoners:
They have the time of their lives
Wait until you hear what the prisoners have to say.
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