[Shade of a Maple Tree]

'Sevene Island Suite' has always been one of my top-ten favourite Lightfoot songs. It's a powerful, thought-provoking song, and I think that people thinking critically about the world they live in is exactly the result Gordon wanted to see when he wrote it.

My interpretation of it is that Gord is discussing the downsides of big-city life and how getting back to nature can be a healing experience. "You seem to think because you got chicken to go you're in luck" is a metaphor for how insular, inward-looking, and ultimately ignorant many big-city dwellers can be.

At the same time, Gordon also tells people that material things and the people you think are your closest allies won't necessarily save you when the chips are down.

Finally, when Gordon says, "there's a new wave that is breaking, in the wake of a passing ship; every nation's gonna be shaken, put it together, don't let it slip", seems to be a cryptic reference to what's could happen if people continue to let degradation of the environment happen. Or something along those lines.