Jeanne

The speaker looks back on a youthful relationship while noticing that time is passing and people around him seem to be entering adult life. He still has affection for the woman, but feels hurt by the gap between his romantic ideal of her and the more practical reality of their relationship. By the end, he wants someone new, yet his repeated wish that she would care shows he has not fully let go.

The “pedestal” suggests he admired her too perfectly, while the reference to the pill points to contraception and the realities of sex, rather than romance alone. “Pushing prams” means raising babies, a sign that his former schoolmates have taken on adult responsibilities. Shooting stars usually invite wishes, but these turn out to be satellites: the speaker’s hopes meet a mundane reality. His playful question about wishing on “space hardware” carries real disappointment beneath the humor.

The refrain rejects grand ambitions to change society or find a “new England”; instead, the speaker wants another romantic partner. This may sound casual or even dismissive, but the song’s sadness complicates that pose. He may be trying to convince himself that moving on is simple, even as his wish for the former partner’s care reveals lingering need.