you also have to remember that the album "tonight's the night" was a rather drunken, beautiful mess of a tribute to recently (at the time) deceased friends, (guitarist Danny Whitten and CSNY roadie Bruce Barry). i can see how this song would relate to that, as in young has money and fame ("the world on a string") but it "doesn't mean a thing" because he has lost his friends.
you also have to remember that the album "tonight's the night" was a rather drunken, beautiful mess of a tribute to recently (at the time) deceased friends, (guitarist Danny Whitten and CSNY roadie Bruce Barry). i can see how this song would relate to that, as in young has money and fame ("the world on a string") but it "doesn't mean a thing" because he has lost his friends.