Check It Out

The song contrasts the hopes people have for the future with the ordinary routines of adult life. Work, family, bills, a house, and weekend activities seem to add up to a comfortable life, yet the speaker questions whether they have taught people much about happiness or living. The repeated “check it out” sounds like a prompt to pause and notice what daily life is really like.

Several images suggest a gap between appearances and deeper feelings. “Sleeping with your back to your loved one” can imply emotional distance within a relationship, even when two people share a home. Calling people “young lions” suggests they want to feel bold and youthful, while talking about secret encounters may be a way to reassure themselves that they are still exciting. The “highways that we built” represent what one generation leaves behind for the next, both literally and as a legacy.

The song does not simply condemn ordinary pleasures or responsibilities: family life and playing with children may be meaningful, too. Instead, it seems to ask whether comfort and routine are enough, especially when people neglect affection, neighbours, or reflection. The hope that future generations will understand better remains tentative; the lyrics do not explain exactly what they should understand, leaving that question open.