I too have revisited this song, in part, because of its use of travelogue. I love the song, but never really understood the false alarm line either. Just recently, however, I have had some half-baked thoughts.
I think the song is about choosing aspirations -- art/career/travel -- over love/family/a more mundane life which might be more meaningful. This is a theme that runs throughout Hejira (esp. Song for Sharon) and her other albums. Some pedestrian logic: Flight = aspirations of success or career. An alarm during flight would be sign that there would be a crash -- find a different path or life. A false alarm would be that she thinks she might have found a new life/love but it proved wrong -- she really didn't fall out of her career path. She chooses Amelia Earhart as an archtype of this choice of fame over family. My impressions of her was that she was a highly driven and independent woman who choose career/fame over all things and ended with just that -- fame. JM is, I think, comparing her life choices to Amelia's. When she assures Amelia its was just a false alarm, she is saying that nothing has really changed -- she is still on the same Earhart path. She may not be happy about it -- it just is what it is. She speaks of getting seduced by the roaring engines (by a career), you end up with your travelogue of snippets of memories (picture post card charms) but nothing of substance (no family, long term love). JM's use of Travelogue for her latest offering is boldly ironic -- she is offering those fruits of her journey. JM also compares herself to Icarus who aspired to the sun -- too high, too foolish, too proud (hubris in an earlier post) just as Joni aspired to her career. Looking back on it, she may be questioning some of her choices. Where they foolish, the product of youthful exhuberance. [Spell check!!] The key to me is the following: Maybe I've never really loved I guess that is the truth I've spent my whole life in clouds at icy altitude And looking down on everything I crashed into his arms Amelia it was just a false alarm She questions whether she has really loved (rather than having been loved). Comparing her circumstance to flying in icy altitudes and observing rather than crashing/committing. She crashes for a guy, but it fails -- he orders her away. She ends up back on the road in the last stanza. Man, is this a depressing song now that I think about it. In any event, I don't know if this is what she really meant to convey, but works for me at least. Ron
