Top Rated Interpretation
anonymous
March 12th, 2006 08:18PM
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This song is nothing but a highly ironic call about the American way of life. How americans consume to much and that they put aside important stuff (like education or else) in the name of freedom.
That's why the chorus is "keep on rocking in a free world". It does mean "hey, don't matter about that, we are in a free world, right ?"
Some parts of the second verses also refer to Reagean voluntary program to help poor people while it's governement was highly subsidizing war industry ("We got a thousand, points of light, For the homeless man, We got a kinder, gentler, Machine gun hand")
It as also refering to a preacher (I do not know his name but I know he exists) who was very close to Reagan preaching to americans this way of life.
The two last sentences are ironically stating it : "got fuel to burn, got roads to drive"...
outrage
March 13th, 2010 11:55AM
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Remember, this song is written pre-9/11 and GWB. This is my interpretation from the first time I heard it to now, dissected by verse.
Irony of prosperous Americans, proud and going about their daily lives and business while homeless are on the same streets. Meanwhile, the growing threat and disdain of our adversaries, and even some allies, that hate the USA and Americans, but we conveniently don't want to deal with it.
Chorus: Yeah, so just keep on rocking...it's all good...it'll fix itself...if you even care (sarcasm, cynicism, etc).
Unwed mother, prostitute maybe, dumps kid [in the trash], needs crack, knows it's all wrong. A wasted life and her youth and what a damn crying shame happening in America.
Chorus
Thousand Points of Light-the elder Bush's vague iniative;
Cold War is over and we have kinder, gentler (also Bush) military strategy (an oxymoron); Plenty of stores and basic necessities unlike many impoverished nations, so we are happy and content; we pollute differently; man of the people I believe is "moderate" Clinton, from Hope, Arkansas and one of his iniative mottos was "Keep Hope Alive". Nonetheless, we have plenty of gas, roads and cars due to prosperity, national interest and that's what we do as Americans. As Alfred E. Newman said "What, me worry?"
Chorus
Just my interpretation, not that I agree with all. I think Neil is a great American (did you know he is Canadian born?) and just feels we can do better. Oh s..., I sound like an Obamanite :).
