I think the general theme of the song has much to do with the clash between the establishment culture vs counterculture. Thus, he has gathered (counterculture) friends on a thin raft, and constructed pyramids in honor of their escaping ( from the "establishment."). Thus the references to the Western Dream (widely criticized in the 1960s). "No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn" is a perfect example of counterculture thinking--life is there to be experienced, experience it, there are no rules. "The negroes in the forest" is an image of freedom; I wonder if that section of the song was shaped at all by the Civil Rights Movement; in any event, "live with us in forests of azure" is another call to reject treadmill plastic society. For me, WASP has something to so with white establishment America.
There is much about the song that I don't understand, but it might be Jim's most fascinating lyric. I guarantee you ( since many thought and think the song is just cool-sounding jive) that Jim is making all sorts of commentary and observations here. Those of you who read an anti-authoritarian message are on the same general page as me--corrupt authority vs true freedom was another huge theme of the 60s. The song as celebration of rock n roll--the medium of the counterculture--also makes perfect sense to me, and those of you who mentioned Jim's slave comments in Miami have also made nice, telling points. Miami as the flashpoint of the clash of cultures, the conflict over rock n roll (remember, they publicly burned rock records in Miami after Jim's arrest), hippie/peace movement freedom vs crushing establishment authority?
What do you think?
Few musicians today are even attempting this kind of sweeping social and cultural critique--would that be fair to say?
I think the general theme of the song has much to do with the clash between the establishment culture vs counterculture. Thus, he has gathered (counterculture) friends on a thin raft, and constructed pyramids in honor of their escaping ( from the "establishment."). Thus the references to the Western Dream (widely criticized in the 1960s). "No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn" is a perfect example of counterculture thinking--life is there to be experienced, experience it, there are no rules. "The negroes in the forest" is an image of freedom; I wonder if that section of the song was shaped at all by the Civil Rights Movement; in any event, "live with us in forests of azure" is another call to reject treadmill plastic society. For me, WASP has something to so with white establishment America.
There is much about the song that I don't understand, but it might be Jim's most fascinating lyric. I guarantee you ( since many thought and think the song is just cool-sounding jive) that Jim is making all sorts of commentary and observations here. Those of you who read an anti-authoritarian message are on the same general page as me--corrupt authority vs true freedom was another huge theme of the 60s. The song as celebration of rock n roll--the medium of the counterculture--also makes perfect sense to me, and those of you who mentioned Jim's slave comments in Miami have also made nice, telling points. Miami as the flashpoint of the clash of cultures, the conflict over rock n roll (remember, they publicly burned rock records in Miami after Jim's arrest), hippie/peace movement freedom vs crushing establishment authority? What do you think? Few musicians today are even attempting this kind of sweeping social and cultural critique--would that be fair to say?