Quoth Philip Sandifer <EUPD96B@PRODIGY.COM>:

My interpretation is basicly that Thermostat is a commentary on the importance of technology in our lives.

When the hands that operate the motor lose control of the lever...

When the person who is operating a machine loses control of it.

When the mind of its own in the wheel puts two and two together...

When the computer running all these machines figures it out and takes over, i.e, becomes a mind of its own.

When the indicator says you're out of oil should you continue driving anyway?

But all this doesn't matter, since no one has the vaugest clue how to use these machines anyway! They just seem really neat!

There's a thermostat that regulates the temperature that might not be reliable that should be disconected...

The voice switches to someone who understands all this technology, and is warning the people that this thermostat is not usefull, and should be removed.

Turn it up, turn it down! Turn it up when the cold brings you down. When the heat bothers you, turn it down. Turn it up turn it down!

The owners of the thermostat immediatly cut in defending their precious machine, explaining it's use in removing something we've been living with for several milenia now.

As I was just saying, as I was just saying, as I was just waying a minute ago, I was just talking and someone interrupted...

The understander and warner returns to the conversation rather poigniantly.

Or was it a loud explosion? Or is the thermostat engulfed in flames, or is it just me?

This is the understander and warner saying "Look, I did warn you all this technology buisness was going to lead to disaster."

To which the people merely respond chanting how usefull that thermostat was, despite the fact that it likely just blew up half their house.

So Thermostat is a rather morbid commentary on machines taking control of humanity. Pardon my rather depressing interpretations.

Quoth Rob Palkowski <Yorx333@aol.com>:

This is a really fun one. There are several narrators. The first one is a guy who forsees mankind's loss of control over technology and technology going wrong:

When the hands that operate the motor lose control of the lever

This refers to the loss of control over a piece of technology.

When the mind of its own in the wheel puts two and two together

This refers to machines becoming intelligent or self-aware (putting two and two together).

Now we get a new narrator, one kno knows how the technology works and what it's about:

When the indicator says you're out of oil should you continue driving anyway?
There's a thermostat that regulates the temperature that may not be reliable that sould be disconnected

This guy is saying that technology should be monitored and limited. Now we get a new narrator, who points out how useful the technology is; how helpless we'd be without it:

Turn it up, turn it down
Turn it up when the cold brings you down
When the heat bothers you, turn it down
Turn it up, turn it down

Then the first guys come back, saying "See?! Now look what happened!":

As I was just saying
As I was just saying
As I was just telling you a minute ago
I was just talking and someone interruped
Or was it a loud explosion
Or is the thermostat engulfed in flames
Or is it just me?

This is the first two guys, after some kind of disaster ("explosion... flames") saying to the "Turn it up" people, "I told you so; you should've been more careful". To which they again reply:

Turn it up, turn it down
Turn it up when the cold brings you down
When the heat bother you, turn it down
Turn it up, turn it down

Only this time, it's an ode to how useful the technology was before the disaster that now deprives them of their technology (the "thermostat" is "engufed in flames").

Quoth Michael Batchelder <michael@saturn.caps.maine.edu>:

I was listening to thermostat in the car the other day and an interpretation occured to me. Forgive me if this has been suggested already, but it seems like it could be about social situations and how painful they can be. It reminds me of Pulp Fiction where Uma says its nice when two people can enjoy a comfortable silence. Well, most people can't enjoy comfartable silence with other people, especially in a group. There is always someone who has to break the silence. Anyhow, its like when people say `Gee, isn't it hot in here?' when things get uncomfortable.

Quoth Adam Lopresto <adl4@cec.wustl.edu>:

Everyone seems to aggree that the voice saying "Turn it up, turn it down" is pro-tech. I would disaggree with this. The point of the thermostat is that it should take control. You should be able to set it once and be comfortable forever. I live in an old (and poorly insulated) house, and it isn't the case. You can either set the thermostat and leave it (in which case you get very hot or cold), or you can turn it up (set it way up, like 80) whenever you get cold, and turn it down (set it for 60 or so) to get it to kick off. By constantly resetting the thermostat we are depriving it of its purpose, and taking control for ourselves, which seems to be aggreeing with the rest of the song, not in contrast to it.