A classic "gone west" song. Note the differences with The Idiot: here the reason to go west is to earn enough to marry his love, not his own sense of dignity, which a changing economy has not denied to him; here the contrast is not between work and "lying down," between a rotted soul and self-respect, but between greed and humble living. It is probably more in line with the classic themes of country music, and it lacks some of the moral complexity of Stan Rogers' song.
But its a different time, and I wonder what the song would be if it was about the end of the Saginaw fishermen, the collapse of that industry, and the fact that you could no longer support your family, not even taking her father's avarice and standards into account.
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