I think it's about people trying to fit into the mold of what they feel they're "supposed" to be. Going to college just because that's what people DO after high school, taking a semester abroad and backpacking through Europe, working in fast food and retail (and if you're Canadian, planting trees, I guess?)...these are all such typical middle-class-youth experiences. And the song says that you don't HAVE to do those things just because everyone else does. And furthermore, they're not a guaranteed ticket to success.
I think it's about people trying to fit into the mold of what they feel they're "supposed" to be. Going to college just because that's what people DO after high school, taking a semester abroad and backpacking through Europe, working in fast food and retail (and if you're Canadian, planting trees, I guess?)...these are all such typical middle-class-youth experiences. And the song says that you don't HAVE to do those things just because everyone else does. And furthermore, they're not a guaranteed ticket to success.