In Richard Brautigan's song "The Symbol," the speaker recalls an encounter with Moby Dick while hitchhiking to Big Sur. Moby Dick, represented as a truck driver transporting sea gulls, expresses a preference for being a truck driver over a whale. This is a playful and ironic reference to the classic novel "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, in which Captain Ahab obsessively hunts the whale Moby Dick. The lyrics suggest a comparison between the treatment of whales by humans in the novel, where they are hunted and exploited, and in the present day, where whales are protected by laws like the Endangered Species Act. Moby Dick's comment that Jimmy Hoffa, a labor union leader, is better to whales than Captain Ahab reflects a shift in attitudes towards conservation and environmentalism in American society. Overall, "The Symbol" explores themes of freedom, individuality, and the changing relationship between humans and nature. The song uses humor and wordplay to engage with these themes in a uniquely American way.
