This is a song about the disillusionment the band felt after making it semi-big and realizing the record execs took the lion's share of the cash and only cared about them as long as they were bringing in more. The singer looks at his own former naivete in the, "Once upon a time we thought we were free," verse (perhaps referring to when they signed the contract). The verse beginning with, "You think you got the stuff it takes to break away," is the voice of the record exec, treating the musicians with all the contempt and exploitation of a circus barker at a freak show. The band's take on it is that it all amounts to a pinewood derby as far as the suits are concerned, and it doesn't matter if they're making good music as long as they're making money.
This is a song about the disillusionment the band felt after making it semi-big and realizing the record execs took the lion's share of the cash and only cared about them as long as they were bringing in more. The singer looks at his own former naivete in the, "Once upon a time we thought we were free," verse (perhaps referring to when they signed the contract). The verse beginning with, "You think you got the stuff it takes to break away," is the voice of the record exec, treating the musicians with all the contempt and exploitation of a circus barker at a freak show. The band's take on it is that it all amounts to a pinewood derby as far as the suits are concerned, and it doesn't matter if they're making good music as long as they're making money.