What do people think of the theory that it is rock'n'roll itself that is speaking in this song--saying that it's worn out and needs to sleep?

it is one of the best closing songs for an album

I am pretty sure the song can be outlined like this:

the first part of the song is depicting stevie being hung over. he's hung over because he was partyin it up last night, but now the party (the rock and roll era) is over.

the second part of that song is him recounting all of the people that were at the "party with him" and he's telling him to say goodnight to the rock and roll era which.

the third part is him critiquing other music scenes with a bunch of word play. composers (classical music) are distracted (as opposed to keeping their composure, or remaining composed). jazz buff's skinny arms (which would make them the OPPOSITE of buff!) then the "straight and narrow" dance "faction (which you would expect to be somewhat exclusive)" is too loose for him. laws are broken, amusing era, walls are broke in the music era are two lines that intentionally are made to sound almost exactly the same when you say them aloud. he is also commenting of the progress and raucousness of the "music era" or perhaps more specifically the rock era.

the ending is a bit harder to interpret but it probably has something to do with unplugging instruments/ending your career for or because of drugs. i guess.

i think its "the composers are distracted the jazz buff's skinny arms"

i love hung over rock.

NO MORE GODS KILL YR IDOLS

I like the idea of telling "The Jam kids on the Vespas," the punks, and thr rockers, that the rock and roll era has ended.

I agree, this is one of the best closing songs ever. It completely floored me when I heard it first time, and has only become more and more relevent to me with time. In fact, my only complaint about the LA's desert origins release was that there wasn't a long enough pause between this song and Camera, because I always thought the silence after it was almost as important as the song, and gave a great sense of catharsis.

i always thought it was 'the poseurs are so distracted'.

i love the fact that he manages to nail the minutiae -the jam kids on their vespas- whilst making the song sound so fucking apocalyptic, like the ground's cracking apart with it all...

and the dance faction, a little too loose for me

and the dance faction, a little toulouse for me

?

"The composers are so distracted." He's going through various genres, talking about why they're unsatisfactory for him. Classical music composers are so distracted. Dance faction a little too loose for him. Punks, rockers.