Out of the Picture is easily one of my favorite songs off of 
Trace.  The acoustic ballad pays much deserved respect to those
who rarely receive it.  The first verse is a general approach, a 
warning to the listener that sometimes, no matter the effort put
forth, the recognition for an action is often overlooked.  Farrar
shows his democratic political stance when singing the
beautiful line which mentions firemen who risk their lives to 
save the lives and easily replacebale goods of the wealthy.  When
the flame goes out, the firemen are heroes just for a few seconds 
("a stop frame in time"), and then go back to their low wage, 
small home lifestyles.  Perhaps the most moving verse, and the 
one that takes the most analyzation, is the closer.  It deals 
with the international law of the right of disovery.  Jay seems
to say that Christopher Columbus and the Europeans should not be
celebrated and acknowledged for discovering America, for the 
tribes the Europeans found on what they thought was India 
(Blackhawk), were obviously the true founders of the land.



You may be quite sure you know where you're going
But sooner or later you're out of the picture
Too many lost names, too many rules to the game
Better find a focus or you're out of the picture

Somewhere along the way the clock runs out
Somewhere along the way it all stands still

Firemen save millionaires' mansions
But when it's done, they sleep on the side of the road
You may be lost, you'll find
Just another paradigm
Just a stop frame in time
And then you're out of the picture

Somewhere along the way the clock runs out
Somewhere along the way it all stands still

Take away this Columbus Day
No more bones on display
Blackhawk never had a say
Just taken out of the picture

Somewhere along the way the clock runs out
Somewhere along the way it all stands still