SOTD #3: I thought this was a private line

Hello, musical readers.  Are you noticing a trend with these songs?  A vaguely classic rock trend?  No?!  *tries harder*

Today's reflection is pretty funny and pretty all-around clever.  It comes from a band whose lyrical genius I've always admired and loved, and of whose voices I've never, ever grown tired.  This one in particular really vibes like poetry to me, just from the cleverness alone.  I hope you're in the mood to travel west... *wailing western-desert-inspired guitar noises*

On The Border - Eagles

(Personal fave lyrics in bold)

Cruisin' down the center of a two-way street
Wonderin' who is really in the driver's seat
Minding my business, along comes Big Brother
Said, "Son, you better get on one side or the other"

(Whoa-oo)
I'm out on the border
(Whoa-oo)
I'm walkin' the line
(Whoa-oo)
Don't you tell me 'bout your law and order
I'm trying to change this water to wine

After a hard day, I'm safe at home
Foolin' with my baby on the telephone
Out of nowhere, somebody cuts in
And says, "Ooh, you in some trouble, boy
"We know where you been!"

(Whoa-oo)
I'm out on the border
(Whoa-oo)
I thought this was a private line!
(Whoa-oo)
Don't you tell me 'bout your law and order
I'm trying to change this water to wine

Never mind your name,
Just give us your number
Mm, mm, mm...
Never mind your face,
Just show us your card
Mm, mm, mm...
And we wanna know,
Whose wing are you under?
You better step to the right,
Or we can make it hard

(Whoa-oo)
I'm stuck on the border
(Whoa-oo)
All I wanted was some peace of mind
(Whoa-oo)
Don't you tell me 'bout your law and order
I'm trying to change this water to wine

On the border
On the border...

Leave me be, I'm just walkin' this line
(I'm out on the border)
(On the border)
All I wanted was some peace of mind, peace of mind
Can't you see I'm tryin'a change this water to wine?
Don't you tell me 'bout your law and order
I'm sick and tired of all your law and order

(Say goodnight, Dick!)

*

The aviators analysis:

I...NEVER...GET TIRED...OF THIS.

Do you see how clever it is?  Do you see how clever the Eagles are?  Allow yourself to be sucked into the world of prime lyric writing.  It's alright, we love it here.

In seriousness, though, this is a good example of a very political, hit-you-between-the-eyes ditty - like a lesser-known song of a similar type as Buffalo Springfield's famous "For What It's Worth" (Stop, children, what's that sound?).  Songs do politics so well because they do it while being clever and catchy.  They take a time-limited thing like political commentary and use it as a springboard to become timeless.  For anyone who hasn't noticed, "On The Border" was inspired by the Watergate Scandal of the 1970s, and is most definitely singing about fear of the United States government becoming an overbearing, invasive body.  J. Edgar Hoover and phone-tapping, anyone?  "I thought this was a private line"?

Did you catch that sneaky little "Say goodnight, Dick" at the end?  Definitely a reference to Richard Nixon's resignation, or so I've been told.  Talk about a zinger.  Fun story: before I knew this, I used to interpret it as the anonymous government-person voice on the phone who interrupted Don Henley's (lead vocalist for this song) "foolin'," either accidentally or sarcastically referring to him as the wrong name (Dick vs. Don?).  I used to think it was meant to illustrate the government not caring about the singer enough to get his name right, but still being creepy by trying.  The more you know!

Also love the "wondering who is really in the driver's seat" opening metaphor.  It could perhaps be summed up as: two-way street = politics, society, etc.; the car = life; the driver's seat = the position of power/freedom/control over one's life.  See how long that is if you spell it out?  Lyric is an art because it makes the point while being skillfully brief about it.  Well done, Eagles.