The lyrics of Hawkwind's song "Festivals" are about the loss of a spirit of freedom and peace that once existed in society, particularly in the context of music festivals. The song suggests that this loss was the result of outside forces - potentially government instigators - infiltrating and corrupting the festival scene. Despite this, the lyrics acknowledge that everyone is guilty to some extent for allowing this to happen. The song also reminisces about the carefree days of summer festivals in the past, and laments the fact that they were ultimately too good to last. The closing lines of the song suggest that this loss was caused by closed-minded individuals and fascists, rather than by the festival goers themselves. Overall, the song appears to be a commentary on the ways in which external forces can corrupt and destroy once-positive aspects of society, and how individuals have a responsibility to stay vigilant against such forces.
