I've always interpreted this song about two high school kids. They're leaving the Prom "as you both walked out the people still were dancing 'round" and this is a friend of those kids telling their story. I don't know how it was in the 70's when (I assume) this song was written, I only know the 80's perspective since that's when I attended my Prom. The other "tradition" of that big evening was the sex either one or both persons in the couple were expecting they would be having that evening. We all know of course, what happens to those kids who weren't thinking far enough ahead to realize what back-seat or cheesy motel room sex could get them. 

I see this as being a female friend. I've read the previous reviews of the song in which those people saw this from a father-daughter perspective, and I agree that works here too. I know of course that it was written by Rick, so I'm going with the idea that he was really in touch with his feminine side :-) . This just sounds like a friend who would stick by you through thick -n- thin, and even though you went off and screwed up your life, they are telling you not to cry, it will be alright, I'm still your friend. "Weep No More, I'm here beside you even though you let me down" Even with the line "let my love guide you, shelter you from all around" that could still be a good friend, ya know? I've got friends that I know I'm closer to than family, that ARE family to me now that I could truly say that I loved them. 

The thing that really sticks in my mind is the recurring theme that Rick wrote about in the 70's about illegitimate pregnancies. We've got Child Within, Lead Me On...I'm sure there's another one that's not coming to my mind immediately- but I'm really starting to wonder if this topic was just so "out there" for Rick to imagine that he felt the need to glorify the subject in several songs? Or, does he have some kind of skeleton in his closet? 

On to the melody, and the "na na nahs". The melody of this song sounds very similar to me of 
"The Photograph" on this album. I'm not sure if both these songs were originally one and then Rick decided he had two stories to tell so he varied one melody a bit to make it into two? If that was the case, it explains all the na na nahs in this one. He had a story to tell, just not a long one. :-) I think it's a little repetitious, especially after coming off the na na nahs of "I'm Your Superman". Something has me thinking that Rick wasn't too involved in song placement on this album. - Michelle P.