This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Never see the big church steeple when I call you on the phone
Never feel the rush of angels, when we stay up late alone
Never whisper you a great love story, only scream and cry and moan
But you’re a good man, but you’re a good man
I keep telling myself to just let go
Oh, let go of the one who took all your gold
I get home and there’s a love note waiting
But only he is here tonight
And the words, the promises you’re making
Only echo all his lies
And for every sweet nothing you whisper
Why is goodbye my reply?
Cause you’re a good man, cause you’re a good man
I keep telling myself to just let go
There was someone that I knew before
A heart from the past that I cannot forget
I let him take all my gold, and hurt me so bad
But now for you, I have nothing left of all my gold
A ghost from the past has turned my heart back,
Am I ever gonna let him go, and get my gold back?
And today I was a dead girl walking, city light burnt through the tears
Heard you say my name and get to talking about the love and all the fears
And you saw all the pain I was holding, and yet still you’d hold me near
Cause you’re a good man, cause you’re a good man,
I keep telling myself to just let go
There was someone that I knew before,
A heart from the past, that I cannot forget
I let him take all my gold, and hurt me so bad
But now for you, I have nothing left
Cause there was someone that I knew before
A heart from the past, that I cannot forget
I let him take all my gold, and hurt me so bad
But now for you, I have nothing left of all my gold
Never feel the rush of angels, when we stay up late alone
Never whisper you a great love story, only scream and cry and moan
But you’re a good man, but you’re a good man
I keep telling myself to just let go
Oh, let go of the one who took all your gold
I get home and there’s a love note waiting
But only he is here tonight
And the words, the promises you’re making
Only echo all his lies
And for every sweet nothing you whisper
Why is goodbye my reply?
Cause you’re a good man, cause you’re a good man
I keep telling myself to just let go
There was someone that I knew before
A heart from the past that I cannot forget
I let him take all my gold, and hurt me so bad
But now for you, I have nothing left of all my gold
A ghost from the past has turned my heart back,
Am I ever gonna let him go, and get my gold back?
And today I was a dead girl walking, city light burnt through the tears
Heard you say my name and get to talking about the love and all the fears
And you saw all the pain I was holding, and yet still you’d hold me near
Cause you’re a good man, cause you’re a good man,
I keep telling myself to just let go
There was someone that I knew before,
A heart from the past, that I cannot forget
I let him take all my gold, and hurt me so bad
But now for you, I have nothing left
Cause there was someone that I knew before
A heart from the past, that I cannot forget
I let him take all my gold, and hurt me so bad
But now for you, I have nothing left of all my gold
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This seems to be about how a past relationship affects a new one. She's found a new man, but still wants her old love back. She doesn't picture herself marrying the one she's in a current relationship with or feels the same amount of love. All they do is fight. He leaves her a love note, but she wants the note to be from her former love. All the promises he makes to her remind her of the broken promises and lies the other told her. He is affectionate but she is distant. She keeps reminding herself that he is a good man. She should love him. Finally he confronts her and talks to her about their relationship. He can see how much pain she is in and how she still has something for her past love. And yet he still doesn't rebuff her.
She wants to let go of her former love. She keeps telling herself to let go. Because he took all of her "gold". Now she feels empty and has nothing of value to offer.