Hi, Nonie. No sweat. But I like the song (The Idiot) a lot. Stan does a really good job of getting at the bitter-sweet reality for many people in the Maritimes. The provinces (Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, New Brunswick) are wonderful places to live, but its hard for many people to find permanent good jobs. A lot of people have figured out how to survive through a combination of shorter-term work and unemployment insurance, but this can become a dead-end. So, many leave ... for Toronto, for Alberta, for B.C. And, once gone, few go back to stay.

Of course, those of us who live or have lived in Toronto, Alberta, and B.C. figure they are better off anyway, but that's a different story ...

As you noted, the "idiot" reference is ironic. Stan believed that it was better to be independent than dependent, even if you have to leave home to do it. Which, of course, is the same thing that drove most of our ancestors to this continent in the first place.