I agree with many of the thoughts so far presented, saying it's about having dreams thwarted by the needs of working-eating-keeping a roof, etc, and how it can grind us down to a nub, sapping our spirit. I specifically want to comment about the final lines "til you become the hand that turns the key to the Jackson Cage", as the way I see this line is a thought that has long fascinated me about human nature.
Regardless of how miserable the working life makes a specific person, my general perception and experience has been that parents' advice to their children seems to usually be practicality as opposed to actually following dreams. Making sure that a college major is one that will result in the greatest chance for employment, instead of actually learning to do what the child's love is and taking a chance on actually being happy. It may not be a parent's intention, but the result of such advice seems to me to be Misery Loves Company. And I to me that's what that line in the song brings to mind - that yes, this life has made me miserable, but when the time comes, I'm going to give advice, based on nothing but practicality, that will likely result in repeating prior generations' mistakes, resulting in continuing misery.
I understand that life is more complicated than just Follow Your Dreams, but at the same time, Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained, and a "Job", meaning something you're doing JUST to pay bills and stay alive, something you have no love for, is always in the hands of the owner/,anger of said business, and can always be taken away, resulting in nothing but wasted time. Yes, even doing what your love can have the same consequence, but the time isn't wasted....and yet very single piece of advice I've ever seen a parent give a child was based on nothing but pragmatism.
As Jackson Browne said: "No matter what you THINK you have, you have nothing to lose". Not an easy code to live by, and most of us don't.
I agree with many of the thoughts so far presented, saying it's about having dreams thwarted by the needs of working-eating-keeping a roof, etc, and how it can grind us down to a nub, sapping our spirit. I specifically want to comment about the final lines "til you become the hand that turns the key to the Jackson Cage", as the way I see this line is a thought that has long fascinated me about human nature.
Regardless of how miserable the working life makes a specific person, my general perception and experience has been that parents' advice to their children seems to usually be practicality as opposed to actually following dreams. Making sure that a college major is one that will result in the greatest chance for employment, instead of actually learning to do what the child's love is and taking a chance on actually being happy. It may not be a parent's intention, but the result of such advice seems to me to be Misery Loves Company. And I to me that's what that line in the song brings to mind - that yes, this life has made me miserable, but when the time comes, I'm going to give advice, based on nothing but practicality, that will likely result in repeating prior generations' mistakes, resulting in continuing misery.
I understand that life is more complicated than just Follow Your Dreams, but at the same time, Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained, and a "Job", meaning something you're doing JUST to pay bills and stay alive, something you have no love for, is always in the hands of the owner/,anger of said business, and can always be taken away, resulting in nothing but wasted time. Yes, even doing what your love can have the same consequence, but the time isn't wasted....and yet very single piece of advice I've ever seen a parent give a child was based on nothing but pragmatism.
As Jackson Browne said: "No matter what you THINK you have, you have nothing to lose". Not an easy code to live by, and most of us don't.