<<Actually, this line should have said "We now look like our mothers did when we were those kids age". The sentence structure is confusing at first. >>
Or even, "Now we look like our mothers did, when we were those kids' age", BUT I think Joni's lyrical structure here is intentional, to set it up as a conversation between her and Carol. And when you're conversing, as opposed to writing verse, you're prone to swap words around like that. (Plus, she had to make it so the syllables would scan properly. Chinese Cafe IS of course a brilliant song. I feel like stylistically & thematically, it's a follow-up to "Harry's House/Centerpiece" as it traces one's earlier fantasies of life, connected to a pop song of the day, and contrasts that with the harder reality on the present. Bob NP: The Police, "Deathwish"
