I don't really know what the overall meaning of the song is - you could analyse it for hours and still be none the wiser. Even Neil Young doesn't seem to know - "hard to say the meaning of this song". All I do know is that it is possibly the best song ever written.
I think this is about the turning point in his life and his impression of society changing as well at that time. The passing of an era, end of the good old days, end of a certain relationship, further disillusionment with the establishment.
The verses are all about different and diverse topics related to this theme.
I think this is about the turning point in his life and his impression of society changing as well at that time. The passing of an era, end of the good old days, end of a certain relationship, further disillusionment with the establishment.
The verses are all about different and diverse topics related to this theme.
Back in the old folky days
The air was magic when we played.
The riverboat was rockin'
in the rain
Midnight was the time
for the raid.
=> This is about a folk club in Toronto that he played in, it was on a river boat, I guess it was...
Back in the old folky days
The air was magic when we played.
The riverboat was rockin'
in the rain
Midnight was the time
for the raid.
=> This is about a folk club in Toronto that he played in, it was on a river boat, I guess it was semi-legal etc
Oh, Isabela, proud Isabela,
They tore you down and
plowed you under.
You're only real
with your make-up on
How could I see you
and stay too long?
=> Again reminiscing about Toronto in the old days, Isabella was referring to a place now gone
All along the Navajo Trail,
Burn-outs stub their toes
on garbage pails.
Waitresses are cryin'
in the rain
Will their boyfriends
pass this way again?
=> Description of road-trip type scenes witnessed on travels across US
Oh, Mother Goose,
she's on the skids
Shoe ain't happy,
neither are the kids.
She needs someone
that she can scream at
And I'm such a heel
for makin' her feel so bad.
=> As above but more specifically about a woman he has spent time with…
I guess I'll call it
sickness gone
It's hard to say
the meaning of this song.
An ambulance can only
go so fast
It's easy to get buried
in the past
When you try to make
a good thing last.
=> This is about an old girlfriend, now lost to him, he refers to it as sickness gone to try to convince himself that he’s ok now, but he isn’t. He says it’s hard to say the meaning of this song because he is unsure what message he really wants to give to the girl — whether he really wants her to come back or to beg, etc. The ambulance signifies the recovery process but it seems slow to him, “it can only go so fast”. The last lines about making a good thing last are about him stretching out the doomed relationship.
The woman may have been Carrie Snodgress (she played the mother in Pale Rider) who he had been living with for several years.
I saw today
in the entertainment section
There's room at the top
for private detection.
To Mom and Dad
this just doesn't matter,
But it's either that
or pay off the kidnapper.
=> This is a comment about Canadian attitudes to children, he felt that many parents didn’t overly care about their kids — witnessed by typical reaction to a kidnapping, inspired by Patty Hearst. The point he is making is that many parents would stop and make a conscious decision of whether it was worth paying a kidnapper…..harsh but probably reflects state of mind at the time.
So all you critics sit alone
You're no better than me
for what you've shown.
With your stomach pump and
your hook and ladder dreams
We could get together
for some scenes.
=> This is about the music press. Whilst they may criticize him, he makes the observation that they create nothing. They are/were more interested in drugs (stomach pumps, hook and ladder dreams). He sarcastically adds “we could get together…” although this is the last thing he would want.
Well, I'm up in T.O.
keepin' jive alive,
And out on the corner
it's half past five.
But the subways are empty
And so are the cafes.
=> Reference to being back in Toronto, still trying to recreate the old days…but now no-one is listening
Except for the Farmer's Market
And I still can hear him say:
You're all just pissin'
in the wind
You don't know it but you are.
And there ain't nothin'
like a friend
Who can tell you
you're just pissin'
in the wind.
=> Reference to feeling of being brought back down to earth by normal working people whose attitude may be that he is wasting his time singing about high ideals. He then reflects that maybe they’re right.
I never knew a man
could tell so many lies
He had a different story
for every set of eyes
How can he remember
who he's talking to?
Cause I know it ain't me,
and hope it isn't you.
=> This is about Nixon, obviously his disillusionment but also confirmation that he is dropping out and hopes we are too.
I don't really know what the overall meaning of the song is - you could analyse it for hours and still be none the wiser. Even Neil Young doesn't seem to know - "hard to say the meaning of this song". All I do know is that it is possibly the best song ever written.
I think this is about the turning point in his life and his impression of society changing as well at that time. The passing of an era, end of the good old days, end of a certain relationship, further disillusionment with the establishment. The verses are all about different and diverse topics related to this theme.
I think this is about the turning point in his life and his impression of society changing as well at that time. The passing of an era, end of the good old days, end of a certain relationship, further disillusionment with the establishment. The verses are all about different and diverse topics related to this theme.
Back in the old folky days The air was magic when we played. The riverboat was rockin' in the rain Midnight was the time for the raid. => This is about a folk club in Toronto that he played in, it was on a river boat, I guess it was...
Back in the old folky days The air was magic when we played. The riverboat was rockin' in the rain Midnight was the time for the raid. => This is about a folk club in Toronto that he played in, it was on a river boat, I guess it was semi-legal etc
Oh, Isabela, proud Isabela, They tore you down and plowed you under. You're only real with your make-up on How could I see you and stay too long? => Again reminiscing about Toronto in the old days, Isabella was referring to a place now gone
All along the Navajo Trail, Burn-outs stub their toes on garbage pails. Waitresses are cryin' in the rain Will their boyfriends pass this way again? => Description of road-trip type scenes witnessed on travels across US
Oh, Mother Goose, she's on the skids Shoe ain't happy, neither are the kids. She needs someone that she can scream at And I'm such a heel for makin' her feel so bad. => As above but more specifically about a woman he has spent time with…
I guess I'll call it sickness gone It's hard to say the meaning of this song. An ambulance can only go so fast It's easy to get buried in the past When you try to make a good thing last. => This is about an old girlfriend, now lost to him, he refers to it as sickness gone to try to convince himself that he’s ok now, but he isn’t. He says it’s hard to say the meaning of this song because he is unsure what message he really wants to give to the girl — whether he really wants her to come back or to beg, etc. The ambulance signifies the recovery process but it seems slow to him, “it can only go so fast”. The last lines about making a good thing last are about him stretching out the doomed relationship. The woman may have been Carrie Snodgress (she played the mother in Pale Rider) who he had been living with for several years.
I saw today in the entertainment section There's room at the top for private detection. To Mom and Dad this just doesn't matter, But it's either that or pay off the kidnapper. => This is a comment about Canadian attitudes to children, he felt that many parents didn’t overly care about their kids — witnessed by typical reaction to a kidnapping, inspired by Patty Hearst. The point he is making is that many parents would stop and make a conscious decision of whether it was worth paying a kidnapper…..harsh but probably reflects state of mind at the time.
So all you critics sit alone You're no better than me for what you've shown. With your stomach pump and your hook and ladder dreams We could get together for some scenes. => This is about the music press. Whilst they may criticize him, he makes the observation that they create nothing. They are/were more interested in drugs (stomach pumps, hook and ladder dreams). He sarcastically adds “we could get together…” although this is the last thing he would want.
Well, I'm up in T.O. keepin' jive alive, And out on the corner it's half past five. But the subways are empty And so are the cafes. => Reference to being back in Toronto, still trying to recreate the old days…but now no-one is listening
Except for the Farmer's Market And I still can hear him say: You're all just pissin' in the wind You don't know it but you are.
And there ain't nothin' like a friend Who can tell you you're just pissin' in the wind. => Reference to feeling of being brought back down to earth by normal working people whose attitude may be that he is wasting his time singing about high ideals. He then reflects that maybe they’re right.
I never knew a man could tell so many lies He had a different story for every set of eyes How can he remember who he's talking to? Cause I know it ain't me, and hope it isn't you. => This is about Nixon, obviously his disillusionment but also confirmation that he is dropping out and hopes we are too.