Art is so funny.
It requires us to open ourselves to experience it fully. It's a beautiful coming of age song about a more innocent time in the shadow of Kennedy's Assasination. Many were not even alive during that time,and the song makes no mention of the assasination,which is essentially the unstated centerpiece of the song. The beauty of the writing comes in allowing the listener to have that a-ha moment without beating them over the head with it. In my opinion,it is precisely what is NOT said that makes the song live for me again and again,because each time I hear it another little part of the scene comes into focus,and its all unstated,and the writer has given me permission to play in his world by leaving it open,so the poignancy continues to live because of what I bring.