Songfacts®:

• This song is about taking a chance and trying to succeed in life. It starts with someone depressed who wants to go out and do more, but it's hard. One in a million succeed, and she'll be labeled brilliant if she becomes a success. She goes on about how little she has in her life and climbs the railing in order to do her swan dive. She sees sharks (competitors) in the waters below but doesn't care, since she has nothing to lose. She has a vision of better things and she wants to go for it. She says she's going to prepare (vaccinations) for this journey and she's going to go boldly because a little bird (America?) told her it's easy. Next she paints a visual of diving into the sidewalk instead of a pool of water, which could signify how unlikely it is to achieve success.
• DiFranco crates a rather shocking visual with the line, "I'm gonna take out my tampon and start splashing around," meaning she's going to call on the sharks with her blood from the tampon and the noise. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  daniel - new orleans, LA, for above 2