The song is a reflection on Gord's, and the band's, place "above the common rabble" --the experience of being famous. "The beautiful lull, the dangerous tug" is the temptation to see yourself as better than ordinary people, to give in to your ego. They still feel human, average, ("small,") but his/their vantage point is extremely distanced from the everyday ("high up above"). He then examines the lot of the average person and notes that we (as humans) are "forced to bed" (our creative impulses are stymied and discouraged) but ultimately no one can stop us if we're sufficiently motivated ("we're free to dream"). Ultimately Downie rejects the role of prophet, however: "I don't know what to believe...sometimes I even forget..." and absolves himself of the responsibility of providing insight to the masses "if it's a lie...terrorists made me say it." There's both an acknowledgement and an irony in the closing refrain of "from high up above"--Downie was writing this song at the peak of the Hip's popularity, giving a nod to the fact that the Hip were metaphorically--and in the song, literally--"on top"--but also admitting that once there, he really didn't know what to do with themself and didn't really want the responsibility.
The song is a reflection on Gord's, and the band's, place "above the common rabble" --the experience of being famous. "The beautiful lull, the dangerous tug" is the temptation to see yourself as better than ordinary people, to give in to your ego. They still feel human, average, ("small,") but his/their vantage point is extremely distanced from the everyday ("high up above"). He then examines the lot of the average person and notes that we (as humans) are "forced to bed" (our creative impulses are stymied and discouraged) but ultimately no one can stop us if we're sufficiently motivated ("we're free to dream"). Ultimately Downie rejects the role of prophet, however: "I don't know what to believe...sometimes I even forget..." and absolves himself of the responsibility of providing insight to the masses "if it's a lie...terrorists made me say it." There's both an acknowledgement and an irony in the closing refrain of "from high up above"--Downie was writing this song at the peak of the Hip's popularity, giving a nod to the fact that the Hip were metaphorically--and in the song, literally--"on top"--but also admitting that once there, he really didn't know what to do with themself and didn't really want the responsibility.