The Earth Has Sent A Message . Kettle's Whistlin' . A sort of uncharacteristic personal song, about saying goodbye to certain physical abuses that often intrude into the lives of many gifted artists - drink and drugs, in particular. The nature and insecurity of the work make musicians very susceptible to the temptation of overindulgence. The happy alternative is to recognize the joy and love of a personal and meaningful relationship with someone else, which is the subject of the song.
Marriage is a prevalent theme in the songs on the album.
In this fictional song, a young dock worker in a seaway town pines for the love of a beautiful crippled girl he's met casually, as he goes about his duties on the waterfront. Little does he know she's carried the same feelings for him, and, in the end, they are united. This was written after the Oklahoma City, USA bombing, committed by American right-wing extremists. I'd written an earlier, angry song of outrage about the incident, but it missed the point. A personal favourite.