My impression of this song has always tinkered along the theme of- the Absent ("Runaway") Preoccupied Mother..... reminisscent of something you'd hear about on Dr. Phil, or the Kellie Pickler spiel from American Idol.

BUT I LOVE THE SUGGESTION OF A BROADER SOCIETAL UNDERPINNING. Genious. And duh - it's by Don Henley, so from a "Henleyan" perspective :) - this interpretation makes beautiful sense.