rabbit100

Apparently this song was written in response to CSN's song Wooden Ships, which talks about sailing away from troubled place to go somewhere more peaceful and happy. For Everyman begins with a reference to the people who would make this voyage, and their "every man for himself" approach. An everyman is an ordinary person, someone everybody can see themselves in, but in this song I think it refers to (or also refers to) all people, or the community of mankind. Overall the song is about the struggle between wanting to ignore the problems of humanity by just leaving on a metaphorical ship, and feeling compelled to play a role in the improvement of social conditions, helping others, ending war, and so on. It also touches on the desire to return to a childlike state of understanding, where a father-figure or a sage gives us the guidance and answers that we need to make sense of the world around us. Now that we are grown, we don't have that luxury, and must struggle alone to reconcile our existence with the existences of everyman. I hope that helps. I think it's about right, but other people mave additional interpretations or refinements. The part about it being a response to Wooden Ships is accurate though.