I mean the way he says “fast”

They way he says “fall” and drags it on could be representing the fall of a bomb/ball.

Also worth noting that “foul” is a pun on “fowl” — IE birds, or Byrds. (“Foul” is also a word used to describe bad stenches, which some people consider marijuana to produce, haha… and also misdeeds, or things that were once good but have rotted or decayed. So this word is doing a lot of poetic/metaphoric work here.)

Plus, the fallout shelter reference gets us into the terror of nuclear war, another major aspect of that era… so the “eight miles high and falling fast” line creepily sounds like it might be referring to a nuclear missile. But then, no, it’s just a foul ball in a sports game (baseball? the rest of the verse sounds like football)… which suggests the level of denial that the nation stayed in for so long. (And other nations too…)

I think this is also a reference to a nuclear explosions mushroom cloud

This is also a baseball reference to landing off the field of play.

“…and falling fast” suggests a one-hit wonder, or at least that it lacks staying power.

Why could he not have been referencing the Manson murders in the sweltering summer of ‘69?

The Manson Family believed colored people would one day be in control but it would be too much to handle so whites would eventually have to take over again.

The thorny crown could also be a reference to Dylan’s song “Shelter from the Storm” which states:

“She walked up to me so gracefully /
And took my crown of thorns”

McLean stated in the recent documentary “The Day the Music Died” that this verse also refers to him gaining weight as he was getting older.

It’s also a metaphor for how the rock and the roll lifestyle (the rolling stone) is exhausting (moss grows fat on it).

“moss grows fat on a rollin stone” since a rolling stone gathers no moss, this line suggests the stone has stopped rolling. ‘but thats not how it used to be" confirms the rock used to roll (pun intended), but has not since the music died.

I think it’s possible that he is beginning to express his disdain for the Rolling Stones here where maybe he believes that the Stones are what was wrong with Rock n Roll at that time. For example, later in the song he talks about his hatred for Jagger with “Jack be nimble Jack be quick. Jack Flash sat on a candlestick because fire is the devil’s only friend.” And then about Altamont with “Oh, and as I watched him on the stage. My hands were clenched in fists of rage. No angel born in hell, could break that Satan’s spell.”

Moss grows on the tomb stones of the dead rock legends as time goes on.

In a more literal sense: the moss grows fat on the body of Brian Jones (founder and original leader of the Rolling Stones) that died 2 years earlier.

Could it mean that with holly being dead rock and roll (rolling stone) has died too and is now gathering moss

“Monkey Finger” could mean his hands show a rugged, callouse, or darkened leather texture. Or, that they appear dirty, which could double into the afformentioned drug use

“He got Monkey Finger” is referring to the longer nail that Coke users often have to separate their stuff.

🤓

During the Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert with Drake, Ye changed the order to Chick-Fil-A

goes well with the last line since there is a crayfish

It something like THat Part and The Wire are having Fish Fillets and Catfishes and stuff like that.

This is also an overtly-sexual, double entendre connecting to the previous verse – intending that the fish fillet is halved before it is served.