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Old 08.10.2005, 21:29
becca_d becca_d is offline
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Thank you, Music girl! This made things a bit clearer. I think I understand it now. I don't think John ever intended the song's meaning to be obvious (of course, if his songs were obvious, he wouldn't have been regarded as one of America's greatest songwriters). In a way, the songs have several meanings, you can sort of make what you want of it. It could be about not being able to communicate with your family, or about conscription, or about racial discrimination. Or about all of these things. In the line where he sings "Saw the people standin' thousand years in chains, Somebody said it's different now, look it's just the same", I think he is talking about the racial segregation that was still going on back then. After slavery was abolished, the slaves were supposed to be free and unchained, but the segregation went on, and kept them in chains. What do you think, Music girl?
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