Remembering an old interview, Ian was quite literal in the lyrics. At that time there was a limit on the number of cigarettes you could take on the flight, so he had to make sure he had the correct number. When he travelled, his carry-on was a paper bag and security always scrutinized his stuff because of his appearance i.e. long hair, long beard etc… But of course, Ian never indulged in the things they were profiling him for, so the joke was on them. Ah the rock-n-roll life. No clever metaphors here, just a straight up reflection of a day in the life of Tull!
Remembering an old interview, Ian was quite literal in the lyrics. At that time there was a limit on the number of cigarettes you could take on the flight, so he had to make sure he had the correct number. When he travelled, his carry-on was a paper bag and security always scrutinized his stuff because of his appearance i.e. long hair, long beard etc… But of course, Ian never indulged in the things they were profiling him for, so the joke was on them. Ah the rock-n-roll life. No clever metaphors here, just a straight up reflection of a day in the life of Tull!