Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a specific generation, those who were adolescents together and are now at least thirty-three. Their youthful ideals, their "three myths" from around 1970, were sex, socialism, and the GT (likely referring to a specific type of motorcycle or car, a symbol of freedom and status). These were the guiding stars of their formative years, shaping their desires and aspirations. The narrator contrasts the idealized, distant nature of sex in their youth with its eventual, more mundane reality. Early on, it was about "pink dreams and half-hearted petting," a far-off concept learned through hearsay or media figures like Hugh Hefner. The pursuit of this myth involved breaking taboos and eventually led to marriage, children, and divorce – a life lived, but one that ultimately left the myth behind, along with youth itself. The lyrics then pivot to the myth of the GT, a tangible symbol of freedom and accomplishment. The narrator recounts the envy of seeing a friend receive one from his father, and later acquiring a used, rusty one himself, acknowledging that its real-world form was diminished and "outside the myth." This reflects a broader theme: the disillusionment that comes when idealized concepts are confronted with lived experience, whether it's the pursuit of love, freedom, or political change. Finally, the narrator reflects on how different people from this cohort have grappled with these myths. Some abandoned the adventure altogether, while others cling to them without understanding. The narrator, however, remains a hopeful, albeit slightly ironic, adherent to the myth of socialism, waiting for its arrival, hoping it won't be "second-hand."