Does anyone know what the lyrics in "Too Many Clues In This Room" mean?

I listen to it a lot and run the lyrics thru my head almost everyday but I can't figure out what the song means.

Still, it's a great son nontheless

I posted the lyrics below. I can't speak for Gord, but the song has recurring themes. War, modern madness, historical madness, age-old questions around war and peace, the modern power at our disposal to wage war?? Too much military might? Human exploits? Powers that lead to ruin?

Too Many Clues In This Room
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(Asus2) (Am7) (D/A) (Asus2) (Am7) (D/A) (Asus2)
The space shuttle ends where the (Am7) subway begins
There's a (D/A) tear on the face of the (Asus2) moon
From dusk until dawn they have (Am7) searched all day long
But there's (D/A) too many clues in this (Asus2) room
At best it is said we've been (Am7) locked deep inside
Of an (D/A) old sea man's chest full of (Asus2) charts
Where maps are contained and what's (Am7) left of his brains
When his (D/A) crew threw his balls to the (Asus2) sharks

(D) All around the (Em) looking glass
(A) Dancing to a (D) tune
(G) Sweeping out the (C) house with a fine tooth (F) comb
Which history's shown
Leads to (E) ruin

In a (A) word it is said that at (Am7) times we must fall
But the (D) worst of it all was the (E) lies
We (A) died for the cause just like (Am7) regular outlaws
In the (D) dust of an old lawman's (E) eyes
In (A) times best forgot there was (Am7) peace there was not
In her (D) pains mother earth came to (E) bloom
Her (A) children were born in the (Am7) eye of the storm
And there's (D) too many clues in this (E) room

The power that is stored in the no man's land of chance
Is there someone who knows what they're doing
The old soldiers say in their own crusty way
We've got too many troops in this room

All around the looking glass
Dancing to a tune
Sweeping out the house with a fine tooth comb
Which history's shown
Leads to ruin

The space shuttle ends where the subway begins
Praise the lord there's a train leaving soon
From dusk until dawn they have searched all day long
But there's too many clues in this room

After reading the lyrics,what I get from them is that the title stands for,"things are so obviously not good right now"...either in the world or in America (and or Canada.) The war is of course Vietnam and maybe just war itself. The crusty old lawman would have to either be LBJ or Nixon,both who knew the war was a futile effort and (according to a news special I saw on TV a few weeks back)yet kept sending troops. The tear on the face of the moon could relate to the fact that we can send people there but we can't solve our problems here. The old man and his chest full of charts? The word chart could mean looking back to see where he went wrong and what's left of his brains and part of him being fed to the sharks means he's lost his mind and also just given up on himself (or something he tried to do). That's my take,Borderstone-outta here and Alberta Bound.

Borderstone, I truly respect your interpretation of this song, and I think you are certainly on to something. However, with all due respect, I differ in my interpretation. It could be a matter of time or place, or space, or personal perspective, yet it is simply an artist’s right (Lightfoot’s), at the time, albeit, the artist’s view of the world, that can really add perspective to the lyric. Regretfully, we do not have that direct perspective.

Obviously, I cannot comment on his specific point or perspective relative to this song.

Nonetheless, I see this lyric as various statements founded on anachronisms. Technology exceeds the overall development of our sociological needs, yet to balance the equation, we require a greater understanding of the history that has come before us.

Mother Earth has, and will, continue to embrace us, despite our indifference, and disprect. This reflects on our society's disregard for our past, and the lessons that should have been learned, as well as our future, and what we should have experienced from the past.

We must learn from those mistakes we made, or continue to make, whether the horrors of war, the subservience to technology, or our arrogance when both are considered, and accepted.

There are too many clues in this room.

Bound for the Ghosts of Cape Horn!


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restless shadows

Borderstone, I truly respect your interpretation of this song, and I think you are certainly on to something. However, with all due respect, I differ in my interpretation. It could be a matter of time or place, or space, or personal perspective, yet it is simply an artist’s right (Lightfoot’s), at the time, albeit, the artist’s view of the world, that can really add perspective to the lyric. Regretfully, we do not have that direct perspective.

Obviously, I cannot comment on his specific point or perspective relative to this song.

Nonetheless, I see this lyric as various statements founded on anachronisms. Technology exceeds the overall development of our sociological needs, yet to balance the equation, we require a greater understanding of the history that has come before us.

Mother Earth has, and will, continue to embrace us, despite our indifference, and disprect. This reflects on our society's disregard for our past, and the lessons that should have been learned, as well as our future, and what we should have experienced from the past.

We must learn from those mistakes we made, or continue to make, whether the horrors of war, the subservience to technology, or our arrogance when both are considered, and accepted.

There are too many clues in this room.

Bound for the Ghosts of Cape Horn!


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restless shadows

Thanks for you help. http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif

I think the song can mean anything we want it to mean.
It can be about war, school shootings that have taken place in the past
Or it can even be about love, trying to figure out whether that other person likes you or not

I kind of thought of it that way, but I think you'd have a really tough time http://www.corfid.com/ubb/eek.gif explaining the lyrics if it were about love

It's been said that a fan once asked him if this song was about a certain American political event (what the event was is not important) and Gord's response was..."sure, if you want it to be" which says to me that even if he has a particular thought he is expressing in lyrics...he's cool with the idea it might mean something different to you.

It's been said that a fan once asked him if this song was about a certain American political event (what the event was is not important) and Gord's response was..."sure, if you want it to be" which says to me that even if he has a particular thought he is expressing in lyrics...he's cool with the idea it might mean something different to you.

This was the 1st topic I posted. I believe it was on the same day as my 1st reply, though.

Re: Too Many Clues In This Room