the song is sung from the perspective of a self-proclaimed "boy from down in the boondocks." he sings of a girl who lives nearby, for whom he feels love and he steals away with occasionally. the people who live or are born in the boondocks are suggested to be a lower class than those in the city. the girl's father is the singer's boss man, which, along with the social division, prevents him from proclaiming his love and connecting with them, despite the shared feelings (which is the basis for the line "but i don't dare knock on her door/for her daddy is my boss man"). the singer proclaims that "one fine day, i'll find a way, to move from this old shack," presumably to be able to join the higher class members of society and finally be able to date the girl within the public eye.