I find it interesting that in the first verse it seems that the protagonist's mother seems to be a bad figure (forbidding her son to be friends with another boy), but then later the story teller seems to understand his mother's words differently ("What did mama say to me").
I think it shows the boy growing up and seeing that may his mother had reasons for what she said. The other boy seems to be a hippy and a dreamer ("let your hair hang down", "kissing tiny flowers", "tears filled your eyes..."). And as the story teller grows up he realises that you just don't have time to be a dreamer in life, you have to accept that things change - the flowers soon die, the river gets polluted. You can't just cry about it - you have to do something. So that's what the story-teller understands but his childhood friend doesn't.
It's a very mature sort of message:
-that although your mother may have had the wrong reasons for doing what she did, she did it because she knew what was best for you.
-don't be preoccupied by how things are right now, think of the future because these things will all change.
You say one message is "don't be preoccupied by how things are right now, think of the future because these things will all change. " and I agree with this addition:
You say one message is "don't be preoccupied by how things are right now, think of the future because these things will all change. " and I agree with this addition:
Listen to the lyrics "but now's the time to look and look again at what you see, is that the way it ought to stay?" That lyric tells the message that if you want those bad things to change, it is time to take stock of how things are, and how to change them. Then DO it... thus the song ironically repeats "That's the way it oughtta be ...Mama said.... that's the way it's gonna stay" to say "now's the time to change" and, my lad, that is how change happens.
Thats the exact same interpretation I'd come up with, although I find the song quite sad, it brings a lump to my throat... I think I was the boy next door when I was growing up... much to the annoyance of many of my friends parent back then.. :) (we do grow up... thats the positive message I hear towards the end of the song...)
Thats the exact same interpretation I'd come up with, although I find the song quite sad, it brings a lump to my throat... I think I was the boy next door when I was growing up... much to the annoyance of many of my friends parent back then.. :) (we do grow up... thats the positive message I hear towards the end of the song...)
Possibly my favourite Led Zep song.
I find it interesting that in the first verse it seems that the protagonist's mother seems to be a bad figure (forbidding her son to be friends with another boy), but then later the story teller seems to understand his mother's words differently ("What did mama say to me").
I think it shows the boy growing up and seeing that may his mother had reasons for what she said. The other boy seems to be a hippy and a dreamer ("let your hair hang down", "kissing tiny flowers", "tears filled your eyes..."). And as the story teller grows up he realises that you just don't have time to be a dreamer in life, you have to accept that things change - the flowers soon die, the river gets polluted. You can't just cry about it - you have to do something. So that's what the story-teller understands but his childhood friend doesn't.
It's a very mature sort of message: -that although your mother may have had the wrong reasons for doing what she did, she did it because she knew what was best for you. -don't be preoccupied by how things are right now, think of the future because these things will all change.
You say one message is "don't be preoccupied by how things are right now, think of the future because these things will all change. " and I agree with this addition:
You say one message is "don't be preoccupied by how things are right now, think of the future because these things will all change. " and I agree with this addition:
Listen to the lyrics "but now's the time to look and look again at what you see, is that the way it ought to stay?" That lyric tells the message that if you want those bad things to change, it is time to take stock of how things are, and how to change them. Then DO it... thus the song ironically repeats "That's the way it oughtta be ...Mama said.... that's the way it's gonna stay" to say "now's the time to change" and, my lad, that is how change happens.
Thats the exact same interpretation I'd come up with, although I find the song quite sad, it brings a lump to my throat... I think I was the boy next door when I was growing up... much to the annoyance of many of my friends parent back then.. :) (we do grow up... thats the positive message I hear towards the end of the song...)
Thats the exact same interpretation I'd come up with, although I find the song quite sad, it brings a lump to my throat... I think I was the boy next door when I was growing up... much to the annoyance of many of my friends parent back then.. :) (we do grow up... thats the positive message I hear towards the end of the song...)