The Trees lyrics

English oaks. Canadian maples , it's a colonial thing going way back

The real meaning to the song is that the maples are like the people at the bottom of the pyramid and that do all the work for the company or buisness or whatever . The oaks are the people at the top that take all the credit for everything that the maples do for them
then the oaks are saying to the maples why aren't you happy .. You have the job(taking the copany example)

To really understand this song, you need to understand neil peart's background... He was heavily influenced by the philosophy of ayn rand (just look at 2112) which is highly individualistic. In her novels, the bad guys are second handers- people who live off of others, people with no talent, no strength and no work ethic. The good guys are prime movers, people who build and create all good things in society. Second handers create collectivist societies as a means of destroying prime movers, either in the name of "fairness" or because they understand that they can't be great. The oaks, i think, are prime movers. The simple fact is that they achieve more than others, and thus reap the greater reward, as is fair. The maples are second handers, who can't accept that the oaks keep the fruits of their work, so they destroy the oaks. Read the fountainhead, anthem, or atlas shrugged by ayn rand, or listen to 2112 again, and you'l get it.

I love this song! It is a really touching song for sure!

Neil peart has said repeatedly that the lyrics were just inspired by a cartoon he saw that featured talking trees. So... There might not be a metaphore even.

I think this could have something to do with like the uaw or something. Like the maples are the factory workers and the oaks are the white collar execs. Thats what it sounds like to me. But the last line with "hatchet, axe and saw" makes it sound like it refers to communism being the solution and nobody being happy. I could be completely off though. Just a speculation.