When we’re young, many of us have big dreams. We’ll be rich. We’ll be famous. We’ll be rich and famous, and astronauts. But most of us never are. “Waking Up” is about becoming aware of the empty promise of equality of opportunity. Actually living out the adventures we dream of when we’re kids is the domain of a privileged few. The rest of us are left to “modify horizons,” to get by as best we can, and often to do so by relying on drugs / TV / fill-in-the-blank to provide a little numbness and respite. It’s a stark portrayal, and yet the song’s protagonist imparts a sense of empowerment gained from coming to see things as they are.