Dear Scott,
Intriguing question, and one that has crossed my mind many times after hearing the live version.
It depends on whether he is singing the song because he misses the innocence of youth or because he feels he has matured and "knows better." The song hints at the former, i belive, since it revolves around the image of his little 4th grader dancing without a care in the world, while he has become "a cold-hearted man" with dubious friends. Though i guess that could be read either way... perhaps he is cold-hearted because he knows that life is about creating alibis and avoiding the cops. I thought that the song was about him feeling whistful about the care-free days of youth, not just nine-year-olds, but also the characters of "swallowed by the cracks" who had so many dreams and aspirations. It is easy to imagine those three saying "maybe i'm not all that young anymore..." but then why does he add "this time" in the original. maybe as in "this time around." i don't know. did this post make any sense? you can go in circles trying to interperet these things... like when i was all hung up over him saying "these MUST be good times."
which brings to mind another question i've had-- the three dreamers from "swallowed by the cracks..." did they actually have the talent to make it and not the means to get there? or did they slowly realize that they didn't have what it takes to get into such creative fields and settle for ordinary lives?
do i think about this stuff a little too hard?
;)
melanie
young anymore
T
tamajinn
(view)
Dear Scott,
Intriguing question, and one that has crossed my mind many times after hearing the live version.
It depends on whether he is singing the song because he misses the innocence of youth or because he feels he has matured and "knows better." The song hints at the former, i belive, since it revolves around the image of his little 4th grader dancing without a care in the world, while he has become "a cold-hearted man" with dubious friends. Though i guess that could be read either way... perhaps he is cold-hearted because he knows that life is about creating alibis and avoiding the cops. I thought that the song was about him feeling whistful about the care-free days of youth, not just nine-year-olds, but also the characters of "swallowed by the cracks" who had so many dreams and aspirations. It is easy to imagine those three saying "maybe i'm not all that young anymore..." but then why does he add "this time" in the original. maybe as in "this time around." i don't know. did this post make any sense? you can go in circles trying to interperet these things... like when i was all hung up over him saying "these MUST be good times."
which brings to mind another question i've had-- the three dreamers from "swallowed by the cracks..." did they actually have the talent to make it and not the means to get there? or did they slowly realize that they didn't have what it takes to get into such creative fields and settle for ordinary lives?
do i think about this stuff a little too hard?
;)
melanie
Intriguing question, and one that has crossed my mind many times after hearing the live version.
It depends on whether he is singing the song because he misses the innocence of youth or because he feels he has matured and "knows better." The song hints at the former, i belive, since it revolves around the image of his little 4th grader dancing without a care in the world, while he has become "a cold-hearted man" with dubious friends. Though i guess that could be read either way... perhaps he is cold-hearted because he knows that life is about creating alibis and avoiding the cops. I thought that the song was about him feeling whistful about the care-free days of youth, not just nine-year-olds, but also the characters of "swallowed by the cracks" who had so many dreams and aspirations. It is easy to imagine those three saying "maybe i'm not all that young anymore..." but then why does he add "this time" in the original. maybe as in "this time around." i don't know. did this post make any sense? you can go in circles trying to interperet these things... like when i was all hung up over him saying "these MUST be good times."
which brings to mind another question i've had-- the three dreamers from "swallowed by the cracks..." did they actually have the talent to make it and not the means to get there? or did they slowly realize that they didn't have what it takes to get into such creative fields and settle for ordinary lives?
do i think about this stuff a little too hard?
;)
melanie
