The song definitely metaphorically applies to Dustin and his family, but I think it's an expression of a story archetype as well.
The idea of the father leaving his family because of duty, or passion, or even to provide for them, is used in countless stories. Sometimes, the father is drafted into the military; occasionally, he volunteers out of duty to his country; or, it could be more mundane, like being forced to travel for his work, just to be able to provide for his children and his wife.
In fact, it could even apply to my own father's life - when I was a young child, he was regularly forced to make business trips to deal with customers, and would be gone for weeks at a time.
The song definitely metaphorically applies to Dustin and his family, but I think it's an expression of a story archetype as well.
The idea of the father leaving his family because of duty, or passion, or even to provide for them, is used in countless stories. Sometimes, the father is drafted into the military; occasionally, he volunteers out of duty to his country; or, it could be more mundane, like being forced to travel for his work, just to be able to provide for his children and his wife.
In fact, it could even apply to my own father's life - when I was a young child, he was regularly forced to make business trips to deal with customers, and would be gone for weeks at a time.