Songfacts®:

• Buffy Sainte-Marie wrote of the song on her website: "Humans are vulnerable, governments come and go, and Nature is sacred, so take care of your link with Life and thrive."
• Sainte-Marie elaborated on the song's hopeful message in an interview with Vancouver's Daily Hive: "Regardless of the blisters of any one moment, we shouldn't despair. Regardless of being 'only here by the skin of our teeth' at any moment, we need to hang on to our link with Life and apply positive action every way we can.
  
  Life is beautiful if you've got the sense to take care of your source of perfection. Mother Nature: She's the daughter of God and the source of all protection. Look right now and you can see She's only here by the skin of Her teeth as it is, so take heart and take care of your link with life."
• When asked about the song's message in light of the 2015 terrorist attacks on Paris and the ongoing crisis involving Syria's devastating civil war, the singer replied: "'Carry It On' is about something bigger than any one or any series of incidents. It's a snapshot of a few obvious, contemporary (and longstanding traditional) facts, currently playing out in the aftermath of recent tragic events in Paris and the ongoing crisis in Syria. Racketeers in power typically hurry to cover their own asses and wallets, and limit the power of the people they pretend to 'represent' in their decision making. But it ain't money that makes the world go round – that's only temporary confusion. It ain't governments that make the people strong - it's the opposite illusion. Look right now and you see they're only here by the skin of their teeth as it is so take heart and take care of your link with life."