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I doubt the band meant this when they first made the song, but. I think that the lyrics can be interpreted quite easily to mean a person that is taking part in certain social trends with the people around him, but the singer is not being sure whether this person here likes what he is doing in order to attract friends and attention, and to fit in (therefore: to be part of the wave, can't stop, ever wonder if it's all for you). So, perhaps, to fit in with some new friends, this guy might take part in their activities that his new friends might find normal but he finds awkward and not enjoyable, but he takes part nonetheless. Indeed, many lyrics in the song reflect this: shindig means a big, noisy party, to which he is addicted, or perhaps merely forcing himself into. Of course, in time, he can change to be a person more similar to the social group he tries to imitate, or perhaps one particular person. He devotes himself into turning socially closer to these new friends (despite finding their socialization weird or not for him), as in "In time I want to be your best friend". "Choose not a life of imitation" is rather ironic, if we interpret it in this way, because it is all about imitation of this social group he wants to get into, though to much difficulty to him. Also, this might be a stretch, but "distant cousin to the reservation" might mean a change in him, because he is now only distantly related to the reservations he used to have on socialization. He makes certain sacrifices to fit in: the tears I drop, for his uncertainties; the trains I hop, certain risks he takes to attract the attention of his new friends; the world I love, all the old friends, old ways, old values, old traditions, old standards: all that defined the old him socially. For me," Come and tell me when it's time to" means that this person goes right back to asking his new friends and the new wave when to continue, after perhaps thinking about or listening to some old friends talk about whether the "wave" is really "all for you". Again, I don't think this is what Anthony meant when he wrote it, but the lyrics actually fit quite well with this interpretation. |
