Keep the Streets Empty For Me

I believe this song is about human nature and the human spirit. It's easiest to analyze the human spirit when you use something or someone (like a homeless or displaced person) who has been completely stripped of the complexities that society and the material world can impose. We're listening to the voice of a human being...simplified. When we strip away all the bs - we are animals (looking for shelter, food, and warmth),and if those needs aren't threatened, we strive for goodness and love - there's no bad intention, and with that comes an innocence (kind of like how you might picture an animal - or the dear everyone is referencing). Strip us of our desires to compete with each other, to make money, to be "attractive", to live within the confines of society - we're simple beings. A homeless person may not be bogged down by the petty shit a lot of us waste so much energy on. They want food and warmth...and with that simplicity comes clarity, and a sense of freedom...an outsiders perspective on humanity. I just want to be warm, full, and a "good person". Where do I find more people like me? "Where do people like us float?"

"...hope in a one man tent, there's no room for innocence". Our struggle to survive in general, and the need to compete amongst ourselves makes it difficult to be a good person - when you have to fight to stay alive, it can force us to push aside our humanity. "keep the streets empty for me" - keep me safe, and away from the hustle/bustle/potential for negative interactions with the world we've created. Keep me innocent (but not ignorant) and sheltered. The song's about the true nature of a human being, and the struggle to survive while keeping our innocence/"goodness".

Or it could be about shapeshifting - like everyone else is saying. Haha. :) Whatev's. It's art. It can mean something different to so many people.