Funnily enough, Mince, that Gilbert O' Sullivan line you quoted is one of my favourite lyrics and I certainly don't see it as cliched. Remember, this was written nearly 40 years ago. I think it neatly describes the guilt of being able to eat and drink comfortably at home while T.V. news brings us the horror of Third World famines. More than a decade later, that scenario was to eventually make Bob Geldof a knight!
As I said earlier, I genuinely liked aspects of that song you posted but it just tried too hard for me. The tempo-changes are a gimmick used to give a mock-opera feel. (As perfected by Queen in Bohemian Rhapsody, complete with pretentious lyrics). The best example of this genre is Macarthur Park---but this was done entirely as a send-up. Legend has it that the composer (whose name escapes me) and the actor, Richard Harris, combined to try and produce the most ludicrous song to hit the top of the charts. They succeeded.
My work here is done.
