Pride goeth before destruction, and the bigger the empire, the harder it falls. But, as we know from Genesis, those who bite that apple no longer know wrong from right, and any of the knowledge they do gain is of no use to them because they are fools. And any red flags and feelings of guilt concerning the 'ends justify the means' cost are dismissed as growing pain. It is loaded on the propaganda of riding towards utopia. The hubris of Empire is declares itself to be an unsinkable ship, in a way. Conquering nations becomes a little less trite than asking for more brisket or more pecan pie, indicative of limitless appetite for resources and the blood thirstiness of war, until one is bloated with entitlement. The images drum up feelings of gluttony and greed and consumerism in citizens of Empire which are also reflected in the imperialism of Empire itself. Part of the song, as is clear, is about the imperialism of Empire, but another part is the bread and circuses domesticated in Empire.
But to return to the American/Roman parallel, there is a lot of meat to chew on in the lyrics. The road to Damascus is a reference to a repentant Apostle Paul as he was miraculously confronted by Jesus Christ against his ongoing war on the Christians and his part in the imperialism against the Kingdom of God which, theologically, is meant to be a sort of return to Eden.
The poem is about a sentimental British soldier in London longing for the feelings of freedom and love he experienced in Burma. Likewise, 'the road to Mandalay' is a reference to the poem Mandalay written by Rudyard Kipling, a staunch critic of British Imperialism, especially in India where he was born. The Appian Way was a long road exclusively for the transportation of troops, signifying a bastion of both imperialism and military defense. One extended metaphor is decisively comparing the American and Roman Empires, using Caesar as a warning. True to the prevalent imagery, the song is a parable about how the road to Empire is the broad path towards destruction rather than the narrow road towards salvation, and that broad path leads directly out of Eden.
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