The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
What's coming through is alive.
What's holding up is a mirror.
But what's singing songs is a snake, it is,
Looking to turn my piss to wine.
They're both totally void of hate, and,
Killing me just the same.
The snake behind me hisses,
What my damage could have been.
My blood before me begs me,
Open up my heart again.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again, considerately...
Venomous voice tempts me,
And drains me, bleeds me,
Leaves me cracked and empty,
Drags me down like some sweet gravity.
The snake behind me hisses,
What my damage could have been.
My blood before me begs me,
Open up my heart again.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again, now.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again, now...
I am too connected to you to slip away, fade away.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me and considerately killing me.
Considerately killing me.
Considerately killing me.
Considerately killing me.
Without the skin here,
Beneath the storm.
Under these tears now,
The walls came down.
Once the snake is drowned and as I look in his eyes,
My fear begins to fade,
Recalling all of the times I could have cried then.
I should have cried then.
As the walls come down and as I look in your eyes,
My fear begins to fade,
Recalling all of the times I have died, and will die.
It's alright.
I don't mind.
I don't mind.
I don't mind.
I am too connected to you to slip away, fade away.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me and considerately killing me.
Considerately killing me, yeah.
Considerately killing me.
What's holding up is a mirror.
But what's singing songs is a snake, it is,
Looking to turn my piss to wine.
They're both totally void of hate, and,
Killing me just the same.
The snake behind me hisses,
What my damage could have been.
My blood before me begs me,
Open up my heart again.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again, considerately...
Venomous voice tempts me,
And drains me, bleeds me,
Leaves me cracked and empty,
Drags me down like some sweet gravity.
The snake behind me hisses,
What my damage could have been.
My blood before me begs me,
Open up my heart again.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again, now.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again, now...
I am too connected to you to slip away, fade away.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me and considerately killing me.
Considerately killing me.
Considerately killing me.
Considerately killing me.
Without the skin here,
Beneath the storm.
Under these tears now,
The walls came down.
Once the snake is drowned and as I look in his eyes,
My fear begins to fade,
Recalling all of the times I could have cried then.
I should have cried then.
As the walls come down and as I look in your eyes,
My fear begins to fade,
Recalling all of the times I have died, and will die.
It's alright.
I don't mind.
I don't mind.
I don't mind.
I am too connected to you to slip away, fade away.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me and considerately killing me.
Considerately killing me, yeah.
Considerately killing me.
Lyrics submitted by implode, edited by AnthraxPrincess, AdamArtz
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It's understandable that this song would be hard to understand since it's about (imo) a fairly common but far from universal emotional disorder that most people cannot relate to personally. When someone is abused as a child they will suppress the emotional pain and feel another emotion instead, in my case anger. But you can't bury your emotions forever ("I am too connected to you to slip away, fade away") so when that emotional tank is full the dam breaks and it all comes pouring out and you feel months of emotional pain condensed into a very short period, in which you flash back to painful periods where you should've felt your feelings. The snake is the pain he's carrying around, the song is about the mixed feeling of the intense agony of feeling the outpouring of emotional pain with the sense of relief at being able to feel with a part of you that has been numb for so long and being able to unburden yourself, thus "considerately killing me". "And as the snake is drowned, and as I look in his eyes my fear begins to fade, recalling all of the times I could have cried then... I should have cried then, and as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes my fear begins to fade, recalling all of the times I have died, and will die - it's alright, I don't mind." As someone who experienced this many times growing up it is a profoundly beautiful and poetic (not to mention deep and thoughtful) description of the whole experience.
Though like with all art, any meaning you get out of it through other interpretations is still meaningful - but this describes the emotional disorder in question so well and so specifically that it's hard to subscribe to the other interpretations I've read.