I think this song is about a man who keeps breaking up with people and breaking their hearts, not because he's a bad person, but because there's a limit to how much he can feel. I know this seems like a stretch at first, and sort of a panzy interpretation.. However, everything fits with this theme, for me anyways.. and I think some of the lines are brilliant.When there's nowhere else to runIs there room for one more sonOne more sonIf you can hold onIf you can hold on, hold on- for me these lyrics are explained more later…I wanna stand up, I wanna let go- wants to do the right thingYou know, you know - no you don't, you don't- not sure what that is, keeps thinking he knows, and then a thought or feeling contradicts what he thought it was. Could also be that people think they know that he’s a good person, but really they don’t, because they don’t know how ruthless he is in his feelings sometimes (inside).I wanna shine on in the hearts of men- wants to be a good person. Wants to be someone he would admire…I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand- wants to learn something from all the past-failed relationships, and everything else that he’s done that has hurt other people (this problem goes beyond relationships)Another head aches, another heart breaksI am so much older than I can take- he’s getting older, and nothing seems different.. he keeps hurting people (and subsequently himself), and he’s accumulating baggage and it’s wearing him outAnd my affection, well it comes and goes- this is one of the main problems. Sometimes he cares, and other times he doesn’t. And when he doesn’t care on an emotional level, he does on an intellectual, or is at least aware that he should care.I need direction to perfection, no no no no- and then he thinks maybe he just hasn’t met the right one. A person that will live up to all his expectations.. he needs to just keep going in that direction, looking for the perfect mate that he will have affection for and not want to leave… but then he thinks about some of the people who have came before, and how good they were, and himself, and how he is imperfect, and thinks that’s not it.. another contradiction (you know, you know, no you don’t)Help me outYeah, you know you got to help me outYeah, oh don't you put me on the backburnerYou know you got to help me out, yeah-This might seem like he’s making a plea to someone else to not ignore him, and help him out. But I don’t think that’s it. I think this is his problem, his inability to get close to person, to become emotionally connected on a deeper level… making the plea. In other words, he’s making a plea to himself, saying not to ignore the problem anymore.And when there's nowhere else to runIs there room for one more son- when he has no idea what to do, is there room for a confused child, who has nothing figured out, who makes mistakes.These changes ain't changing meThe cold-hearted boy I used to be- he remembers when he was younger , and he was completely cold-hearted and that he’s gradually realized it, and thought he was growing from it, but, he’s still the same cold-hearted person, the only difference is that he realizes it.Yeah, you know you got to help me outYeah, oh don't you put me on the backburnerYou know you got to help me out, yeahYou're gonna bring yourself downYeah, you're gonna bring yourself downYeah, you're gonna bring yourself down- don’t ignore this, even it hurts, even it’s hard to face it, don’t just hope it goes away, and go on to the next relationship and hope that one will be different, figure out what the problem is now. “bring yourself down!” let it depress it you if it has to, and fix it.I got soul, but I'm not a soldier (x10)- with the war in Iraq, when this first came out, I thought it related to that. But, for me now, it just seems to be him saying that he cares about being cold-hearted and hurting people (“I got soul”, or “I have a soul”), but he’s not able to do a good job, make the right decisions, stand in line, his heart waivers and drifts. He’s not good at this.(Time, truth and hearts)- to me, throwing this in, is sort of a clue that the song is really about this stuff, rather than a more general theme, although the lyrics can easily be interpreted many ways.Over and out, last call for sinWhile everyone's lost, the battle is wonWith all these things that I've doneAll these things that I've done(Time, truth and hearts)If you can hold onIf you can hold on- keep trying? With the hope that he will eventually learn what the problem is, even if he ends up hurting more people. Or, even if he ends up losing everyone that cares about him, at least, in the end, hopefully, he’ll understand why.
