Love this song. Strong "feeling" that Mark has reached a crossroad in his professional life?
Agree that the song is a reference to leaving Deptford in the 1st verse and each song he writes takes him further and further away from those times, and down many roads wherever? Still can't put my finger on the meaning behind the reference back to 1879, but the 2nd last verse certainly gives me an impression that he may be feeling like walking away from the present like he did back in the Deptford days.
The mention that he has no wish to stay around "to watch any more poor old fakers trying to dance in his old shoes, as we also saw in TOTT, shows just how deeply his feeling are regarding this "tribute" band thing.
I hope I'm wrong, and I'm sure he'll never completely stop participating in his 3 passions (writing - recording and touring) which have immersed his professional life for the last 40-years.
The touring is the one that I feel is slipping away.....