The Obvious Child

I have interpreted it quite different and find it needs this key to be fully understood:<br /> Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."<br /> <br /> He's accustomed to a smooth ride, or maybe he's a dog who's lost it's bite. He is approaching the reality of adulthood like all do with the transition of having more ability/privilage but also more responsiblity/throuble. <br /> <br /> He doesn't expect to be treated like a fool no more, He doesn't expect to sleep through the night. (a repeating of the last line's similar meaning) He wan't respect in the world for now being an adult, but also expects his troubles to keep him up and night (or his night life to keep him up at night)<br /> <br /> Some people say a lie is a lie is a lie, but he says why. Why deny the OBVIOUS child? Why deny the obvious CHILD? The general ignorance that childhood affords us is often seen as being only something that should be overcome and avoided. So childishness in any sense is seen as negative. Yet, the simplicity of life, and the clarity of reasoning that childhood affords us can be greater than the "adult" way of thinking in some cases. With stark contrasts of right and wrong being clear as day instead of being muddled and complicated. <br /> <br /> The "Why deny the obvious child" is said twice to convey two separate meanings. the first is said to someone labeled for namesake "child" (think Jamaican) and thus just asking "Why deny the obvious?" The second time is inquiring to the motive of denying, (ore in the sense of rejection) someone who is obviously a child (in the sense described above).<br /> <br /> And in remembering a road sign,- a particular moment in his life he recalls setting him on a different path or way of thinking indefinitely- I am remembering a girl when I was young- (literally)<br /> And she said these songs are true, these days are ours, these tears are free <br /> thusly reinforcing the simplicity and power of childhood.<br /> <br /> The Cross is in the ballpark,- the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. So it is in a place like a ball park where children are. Relative to them.<br /> <br /> the next stanza a is... well yeah, and I just love the way he says "sunny get sunnier" to say he gets older...<br /> <br /> Then the focus moves directly off of sunny, and back on..our guy. <br /> He's been waking up at sunrise<br /> He's been following the light across his room<br /> He watches the night receive the room of his day<br /> He has entered a point in his life when the sunrise and sunsets are some of the most precious things he has as he marvels at creation in a way that is so central to childhood's essence. In his older age his is re-discovering the type of wisdom that is found in this idea. HE watches (participates in) as the night gets everything from his day's thoughts and lies there thinking, watching the night sky and getting lost in a well developed peace. and goes to sleep as the night also receives his day's weariness <br /> <br /> Some people say the sky is just the sky<br /> but I say why<br /> The awe of creation is often lost to us as we grow older and understand it more, so the sky is just the sky, but there is an implied earnestness to continue admiring the beauty one sees around oneself and continue in the childhood admiration of things we don't understand.<br /> <br /> Sonny's yearbook from high school<br /> Is down from the shelf<br /> And he idly thumbs through the pages<br /> Some have died<br /> Some have fled from themselves<br /> Or struggled from here to get there <br /> -Sunny is now contemplating the road to adulthood and how many stumble and fall and get into trouble along the way again re-enforcing the fact that adulthood is not all it's cracked up to be, and is not necessarily the main objective.<br /> <br /> Sonny wanders beyond his interior walls<br /> Runs his hand through his thinning brown hair<br /> <br /> Well I'm accustomed to a smoother ride<br /> Maybe I'm a dog that's lost his bite<br /> I don't expect to be treated like a fool no more<br /> I don't expect to sleep the night<br /> Some people say a lie is just a lie<br /> But I say the cross is in the ballpark<br /> Why deny the obvious child?<br /> <br /> This part is rather interesting as sunny "wanders beyond his interior walls" that is thinks beyond himself in a philosophical fashion and runs his hands though his now aging hair he stumbles upon the exact same conclusion as his father before him, (so it is sunny now saying the last stanza) and comes to all the same conclusion about childhood and growing up, and there is only ONE last Why deny the obvious Child at the end for the listener to interpret which of the two it means... this is why two "the cross is in the ballpark"s is unnecessary, when he uses them. That line only had one meaning. <br /> So it is then implied that this is endless cycle of understanding and going from childhood to adulthood and then seemingly back to childhood and pro-creating to create children from adults is in its harmonic and beautiful unending conclusion with all the drums and the rockin out ending.

@twollamalove Paul Simon is Jewish so is he just interpreting someone elses life journey? I did hear that he was watching the papal visit of the USA on TV and the pope was giving mass at Yankees Stadium and thats where the lyric comes from but you know what the best thing about music and lyrics and even poetry is? Its all subjective. Nobodys wrong If it evokes an emotion that differs from someone elses or even that of the composers.