For me, the song is of course about any being, equine, canine, human, whatever, who is exploited, then discarded or destroyed when it's no longer convenient to have him or her around--the dogs that are dumped on the SPCA when they have lost their puppy cuteness, the workers whose factory goes down at the hands of a corporate raider (or just a CEO interested in the bottom line) and whose company retirement plan is looted. The song, of course, is also about starting over--with a little help from friends. In that sense, it's also about me, in two post-retirement "careers"--the quotes because neither is likely to lead to any particular improvement in economic status--but both are important in giving meaning to my life.

--seed