I guess I don't have anything too insightful to add, but I'll try anyway. To me the song is about a young woman eager to see what the world has to offer her. She's obviously naive, but determined nonetheless. The line "it's hard to get by just upon a smile" means to me that the woman only thinks she understands how the world works. Also, the fact that the narrator calls her "girl" has to imply she's unknowing. Another thing is the "remember you as a child" line. I guess that also means that the narrator knows she'll be changed. It's an amazing song -- the realization that he must let her go even know if she ever returns she won't be the same. He just can't stop her -- perhaps he loves her too much to try.
I guess I don't have anything too insightful to add, but I'll try anyway. To me the song is about a young woman eager to see what the world has to offer her. She's obviously naive, but determined nonetheless. The line "it's hard to get by just upon a smile" means to me that the woman only thinks she understands how the world works. Also, the fact that the narrator calls her "girl" has to imply she's unknowing. Another thing is the "remember you as a child" line. I guess that also means that the narrator knows she'll be changed. It's an amazing song -- the realization that he must let her go even know if she ever returns she won't be the same. He just can't stop her -- perhaps he loves her too much to try.