The Cave of Altamira is a cave in Spain containing paintings and drawings made by Neanderthals. The song is about early man's call to be creative and expressive. Early in life he recognizes that "busy world was not for me so I went and found my own." His imagination was sparked in his solitude studying, reading, imagining and creating. The story of the caves of Altamira show this instinct: "Before the fall when they wrote it on the wall when there wasn't even a Hollywood they heard the call." Man answered his creative call and we are ever grateful.
In a 2000 BBC Online chat with Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan, they shared their thoughts on the meaning behind this song. Becker called it "A story about the loss of innocence." Fagen said it's "a pretty straightforward story about a guy who visits the caves of Altamira which have famous drawings by prehistoric men or women as the case may be, and he registers his astonishment."
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