I certainly relate to this song quite a bit, and I think a lot of people can. I think out of all the cryptic and often hard to interpret lyrics that Paddy has written over the years, this is one of his most universally relatable lyrics. I think if you take this very literally then it is mainly about pressure put upon kids by parents and other adults in their life; however, I think in a broader interpretation of this song, it's mostly just about pressure in general. Right from the get go, with the line "You surely are a truly gifted kid but you're only good as the last great thing you did" It sums up the modern day societal mentality that has dominated for the past several centuries, and especially the most recent two: That we must keep moving and that we must never be happy. No one these day seems to be truly happy with where they are in their life. Everyone needs to keep moving. They're "only as good as the last great thing they did". My interpretation is simply that this song is an expression of trying to keep up in life. This song is about "Moving the river bucket by spoon". It's about the effort it takes to "stay where I am". I admire how well this song is written and how tastefully it explores such a simple, yet pressing topic that is universally relatable.
I certainly relate to this song quite a bit, and I think a lot of people can. I think out of all the cryptic and often hard to interpret lyrics that Paddy has written over the years, this is one of his most universally relatable lyrics. I think if you take this very literally then it is mainly about pressure put upon kids by parents and other adults in their life; however, I think in a broader interpretation of this song, it's mostly just about pressure in general. Right from the get go, with the line "You surely are a truly gifted kid but you're only good as the last great thing you did" It sums up the modern day societal mentality that has dominated for the past several centuries, and especially the most recent two: That we must keep moving and that we must never be happy. No one these day seems to be truly happy with where they are in their life. Everyone needs to keep moving. They're "only as good as the last great thing they did". My interpretation is simply that this song is an expression of trying to keep up in life. This song is about "Moving the river bucket by spoon". It's about the effort it takes to "stay where I am". I admire how well this song is written and how tastefully it explores such a simple, yet pressing topic that is universally relatable.