Things are not what they appear Starting with a mother's love
This lyric at first appears to be juxtaposing trickery with idealized unconditional love, but holds a deeper meaning in the context of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Throughout the series, author and narrator Lemony Snicket alludes to his mysterious lost love “Beatrice;” each book is even dedicated to her. Over the course of the novels, readers learn that Lemony had a long relationship with Beatrice. He proposed to her, but she rejected his offer, and wrote a 200 page book about why she could not marry him. The very last word of the series reveals that Beatrice is the Baudelaire children’s deceased mother. Therefore, Beatrice, a mother’s, love for Lemony turned out to be very different from what he thought.[1]
The lyric could also pose to represent the Baudelaires' doubts in their parents during The Penultimate Peril, beginning when Sunny questions what Count Olaf and Kit Snicket meant saying that their parents had done something with poison darts, and culminating when it is revealed they used those darts to kill Olaf's parents.[2]
When a helping hand comes near It becomes an empty glove
Everyone who has tried to help the Baudelaires has failed them, from Justice Strauss too blinded by her own dreams to notice The Marvelous Marriage[3] and justice to assist them in escaping the Hotel Denouement, to Dewey Denouement, attempting to recruit them into VFD and then eventually dying as they attempted to help him.[2]
Just one thing in life is clear: Nothing's ever what it seems
This becomes clear to the Baudelaires throughout their series of unfortunate events; there are secrets everywhere, and stories hidden in everything.
Even babies lie
Every line referencing babies refers to Sunny Baudelaire; her lying can be seen in The Penultimate Peril as she is sent in as a flaneur to the Hotel Denouement.
People lie from ear to ear Just to help their little teams Which are not what they appear
A lowkey reference to VFD; both sides of the schism hide information from the Baudelaires and attempt to manipulate them for their own ends- the firestarters in attempting to gain their fortune, and the firefighters in attempting to gain the Sugar Bowl.
We are wrong to begin with Even if we are sincere
The road to hell is paved with good intentions; while the Baudelaires may have thought they were doing good, they often also did terrible things in order to achieve those ends, as did every other character in the series.
Truth is just a useful myth
As Count Olaf details when he confronts the Baudelaires, he sees the truth as whatever one makes of it, and can and will twist facts to suit his own ends, as he believes everybody does.
Even babies steal
The second line referring to Sunny Baudelaire; her first account of theft was of Captain Sham's keys in order to save Josephine Anwhistle,[4] followed by the much more deliberate and ambiguous theft of Hal's keys to get into the Library of Records.[5]
Even babies kill
The third line referring to Sunny Baudelaire; she and her siblings were accused of murdering Dewey Denouement, as they dropped the harpoon gun Olaf thrust at them, which shot him upon hitting the ground. Afterwards, she infamously suggested burning the Hotel Denouement in order to signal Kit to stay away from the gathering, which inevitably lead to multiple deaths.[2]
