Tunnels

First stanza- and although underground I wasn't that far from the tree

Also, last nonchorus stanza, it might be winking twice for free-dom, instead of winking twice for free/ Don't..

I interpret this song to be about a journey through life, and ultimately, about death. I think the term 'tunnel' implies not only a route but also a 'rut', and for so long he 'stayed out those tunnels that pull people down', but eventually succumbed to a life where he felt trapped. And when he states that 'there's more of those tunnels in your home town' I think he means that so many people talk about getting out of places but many stay in that 'rut' and it's so easy to fall into a trap.

But 'we're all digging' our way out of these places, trying to reach some sort of escape from our mundane existence. But ultimately the only existence we reach isn't an earthly one. We can dig for money, and status and escape, but eventually we all reach the same destination and we leave this world the same way we came in, with nothing. 'We dug for money, we shovelled four tons, and the end wasn't funny, though we'd all had fun.' The 'end' being 'death'.

'My father dug too, he got where he was going at the age of 62.' Although this line confirms my assumptions about the song being about death, I also find it quite strange that usually Johnny's songs are less personal, he creates characters and takes on their persona's, but this line is extemely personal since his father did actually pass away at 62.

I could go on interpreting this song forever, it is one of my all time favourites, and each line is like embarking on a new avenue of ideas. I still haven't quite decided on the symbolism of the 'ornamental tree' so if anyone who has any ideas please share them because I'd love to hear other peoples views.

I also like this song very much, both music and lyrics.

What Johnny describes is something existential, that goes very deep and affects everyone: "We´re all digging...". And this "digging", "tunnel-making" is obviously something negative and fruitless. It leads away from the daylight, away from company and communion with others. While digging you´re alone only carrying out your digging ambitions. It seems to be a kind of fate or doom, nobody can escape from it. All human beings are "jailbirds", there´s a kind of solidarity in "tunnel-digging". "the ornamental tree" maybe symbolizes deliverance, but the way to this tree, whatever it represents, still is unknown.

Interesting: in the first stanza it can really say "I was that far from the tree" and "I wasn´t that far from the tree", both make sense. "Far from the tree" may be already referring to the saving "ornamental tree", but "not far from the tree" can also by an expression for "being suicidal", which was my first intuitional interpretation.

But one thing I really don´t grasp: why does it mean "far too slow". I thought the tunnel-digging itself was the problem, not the slowness. If someone has an idea, I´d be glad to share it.

Terri1909 you´re right, the lyrics of this song are very rich and full of associations.