We can all play the 'Death of Author' card in this game but it makes debate a bit moot. Yes all songs will have personal resonances that inform what we take from each one but surely the debate is about trying to understand what the artist was trying to say. I think Don McLean might have said it best in Vincent.
But - for what it's worth, knowing what we do about Jackson Browne's convictions on environmental matters, I think it's pretty clear that he's not making comments about personal morality, hedonism, sexual freedom, drug taking or any other social developments you may or may not, individually, approve of. His sole message here is about the greed and apathy about that greed that has seen humanity abuse the environment in which we depend for our survival to the point where it fails to provide that which we need leaving us clinging on to avoid extinction.
Perceptive, salient, ahead of his time, plaintive and melancholy - yet another beautiful song by a great, great songwriter.
We can all play the 'Death of Author' card in this game but it makes debate a bit moot. Yes all songs will have personal resonances that inform what we take from each one but surely the debate is about trying to understand what the artist was trying to say. I think Don McLean might have said it best in Vincent.
But - for what it's worth, knowing what we do about Jackson Browne's convictions on environmental matters, I think it's pretty clear that he's not making comments about personal morality, hedonism, sexual freedom, drug taking or any other social developments you may or may not, individually, approve of. His sole message here is about the greed and apathy about that greed that has seen humanity abuse the environment in which we depend for our survival to the point where it fails to provide that which we need leaving us clinging on to avoid extinction.
Perceptive, salient, ahead of his time, plaintive and melancholy - yet another beautiful song by a great, great songwriter.
YMMV