Wow. I agree with your overall interpretation 100% completely! About how we humans have left nature behind and such, as we've evolved, and the singer wants to go back to the simple natural state. Spot on! However, you got one thing wrong, I think. In your number (1), the line "The yellow Roosevelt Avenue leaf overturned"... your whole thing about yellow and green leaves falling in autumn and winter and all that, I think is mistaken and way off. If that were right, then what is "Roosevelt Avenue"? But I have the answer to that.
TMBG are from New York City. Brooklyn, specifically. It's a reference that I think only native NYCers (I was born and raised here in NYC, in Queens) would catch and get. Roosevelt Avenue is a subway stop in Queens, NY. From there, you can get the E, F, or R trains. In NYC, each train line has a color. E is blue, F is orange... and the R is yellow.
The E only goes from Queens to Manhattan. But, the F and the R go from Queens, through Manhattan, and into Brooklyn. Yellow... Roosevelt Avenue... it's the R train here in NYC. Which probably the guys in TMBG have ridden quite often to get around NYC.
So when you said...
"We were once primates living in the trees, but we evolved "intelligence" that caused us to abandon that life of simple joy and exploration in the trees, and eventually create our present existence"
you were completely right.
And when you said...
"We think we've made progress (turning over a new leaf), but in fact we've gone backwards."
You are ABSOLUTELY right! Because the line refers to making progress in terms of the subway. i.e. the big city life. Technology and advancement and all that the Big City is. So you were right, but had one of the reasons wrong.
wdfarmer...
Wow. I agree with your overall interpretation 100% completely! About how we humans have left nature behind and such, as we've evolved, and the singer wants to go back to the simple natural state. Spot on! However, you got one thing wrong, I think. In your number (1), the line "The yellow Roosevelt Avenue leaf overturned"... your whole thing about yellow and green leaves falling in autumn and winter and all that, I think is mistaken and way off. If that were right, then what is "Roosevelt Avenue"? But I have the answer to that.
TMBG are from New York City. Brooklyn, specifically. It's a reference that I think only native NYCers (I was born and raised here in NYC, in Queens) would catch and get. Roosevelt Avenue is a subway stop in Queens, NY. From there, you can get the E, F, or R trains. In NYC, each train line has a color. E is blue, F is orange... and the R is yellow.
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/submap.htm
The E only goes from Queens to Manhattan. But, the F and the R go from Queens, through Manhattan, and into Brooklyn. Yellow... Roosevelt Avenue... it's the R train here in NYC. Which probably the guys in TMBG have ridden quite often to get around NYC.
So when you said...
"We were once primates living in the trees, but we evolved "intelligence" that caused us to abandon that life of simple joy and exploration in the trees, and eventually create our present existence"
you were completely right.
And when you said...
"We think we've made progress (turning over a new leaf), but in fact we've gone backwards."
You are ABSOLUTELY right! Because the line refers to making progress in terms of the subway. i.e. the big city life. Technology and advancement and all that the Big City is. So you were right, but had one of the reasons wrong.
I hope that helps!
:)