It's a story about the Garden of Eden (Island), but as the artist states late on in the song - it's a daydream about the Garden of Eden. ("And this is not a story people tell. It is something I know myself. And when I do my job, I am thinking about these things. Because when I do my job, that is what I think about.")
The snake represents perceived evil; temptation and knowledge, to which the woman (Eve) succumbs. After she has spoken with the snake (Devil), she no longer wants to be with the man (Adam), and falls in love with the snake, longing to remain on the island with it - however, the man finds out about their relationship and tells the woman that they must leave the island, in an attempt to keep her for himself, and to shield her from further temptation and knowledge.
The most interesting lyric in this song is "Anyway, we got into their boat and left the island. But they never stayed anywhere very long. Because the woman was restless. She was a hothead. She was a woman in love." - which suggests that the artist, in a daydream is either visiting the Island (Garden of Eden) with another party in the tourist sense, or is along with the man and woman (Adam & Eve) indigenous to the Island and either choose or told to leave with them although in a daydream context, the latter is most likely.
Great song, one I've heard a thousand times and likely to hear a thousand more.
It's a story about the Garden of Eden (Island), but as the artist states late on in the song - it's a daydream about the Garden of Eden. ("And this is not a story people tell. It is something I know myself. And when I do my job, I am thinking about these things. Because when I do my job, that is what I think about.")
The snake represents perceived evil; temptation and knowledge, to which the woman (Eve) succumbs. After she has spoken with the snake (Devil), she no longer wants to be with the man (Adam), and falls in love with the snake, longing to remain on the island with it - however, the man finds out about their relationship and tells the woman that they must leave the island, in an attempt to keep her for himself, and to shield her from further temptation and knowledge.
The most interesting lyric in this song is "Anyway, we got into their boat and left the island. But they never stayed anywhere very long. Because the woman was restless. She was a hothead. She was a woman in love." - which suggests that the artist, in a daydream is either visiting the Island (Garden of Eden) with another party in the tourist sense, or is along with the man and woman (Adam & Eve) indigenous to the Island and either choose or told to leave with them although in a daydream context, the latter is most likely.
Great song, one I've heard a thousand times and likely to hear a thousand more.