I always felt this song was about how you work hard for something and someone else always has an idea what's BETTER for you than your own idea ( he's saving his pennies and she says Sonny move out to the country -- working too hard will give you a heart attack). Meanwhile the Sarge is busy working 2 jobs to keep up with Joneses. He's traded his Chevy for a Caddy, and even if he won't be able to drive it, he's busy polishing it up so it'll look good for the neighbors.
Every generation wants better for the next one. Meanwhile that one wants better still, so most of them look around and say "get me outta here". I gre up in NY and I sure as heck wanted out.
So, I always thought this song was about observing the older folks playing these life games and saying, "uh uh, not for me, I am outta here -- I'm moving out".
As for the immigration angle, possibly that's thrown in there because he's alluding to neighborhoods he speaks of in the song which are Italian and Irish areas of NY and NJ.
I always felt this song was about how you work hard for something and someone else always has an idea what's BETTER for you than your own idea ( he's saving his pennies and she says Sonny move out to the country -- working too hard will give you a heart attack). Meanwhile the Sarge is busy working 2 jobs to keep up with Joneses. He's traded his Chevy for a Caddy, and even if he won't be able to drive it, he's busy polishing it up so it'll look good for the neighbors.
Every generation wants better for the next one. Meanwhile that one wants better still, so most of them look around and say "get me outta here". I gre up in NY and I sure as heck wanted out.
So, I always thought this song was about observing the older folks playing these life games and saying, "uh uh, not for me, I am outta here -- I'm moving out".
As for the immigration angle, possibly that's thrown in there because he's alluding to neighborhoods he speaks of in the song which are Italian and Irish areas of NY and NJ.