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"
I felt no guilt till I was caught
And I was told that I was guilty
And even then I wasn't really sure (yeah yeah)
The thing I felt was guilt itself
Or maybe it was something else
Frustration at the fact that I was ever caught at all
I told a lie I multiplied it
By the time I realized it
I'd given up everything I ever loved (yeah yeah)
Cause the thing you left
When you're looking back
Is the pressure the feel that you have to act
Yeah everything is clearer when
You're looking at the past (oh no)
[Chorus]
And I don't care if I lose
Because my heroes did too
They shouted court should be adjourned
Because the jury are fools
And the judge can't decipher his left from his right
Or his right from his wrong
And we will bite the hand that thieves
We will not turn the other cheek
This is no threat
It is a promise we will keep
So what's the point pretending
When we sit behind the curtain
And there's nothing much to see
Oh yeah
I felt no pain till I was found
And I was told that I was bleeding
And even then I knew I wasn't done (yeah yeah)
Cause the wounds I get
They will just collect
Insuring that I won't forget
Reminders of the battles
That I've lost and that I've won
And I will fight until I have died
Or until all my enemies are allies
And even then I will sleep with an open eye (yeah yeah)
Cause the night is long and our hooves are strong
And I know the road we travel on
It always seems so dark
Because we've almost reached the dawn
Oh no
[Chorus]
And everyone will claim
That they knew from the beginning
That what they did was wrong
They still just went on sinning
The sudden rush you feel
When realizing everything you know
Will fade away
It haunts you deep
But you won't want to let it go
Someday we'll lose the war
But till then we will dream of winning
I won't forget
The things you said
When I was down and I was tired of it
The words you spoke
They brought me hope
When it was time to fight
We chose a side
But everyone knew that something didn't feel right
So we stood our ground
And waited for a sign
When it was time to fight
We chose a side
But everyone knew that something didn't feel right
So we stood our ground
And waited for a sign
You said don't look back
(No, no, no, no...)
Don't look back
(Don't look back
We won't go back
We've come too far
We're too high off the ground
The wheels have turned
The lessons learned)
You said don't look back
Don't look back
And I was told that I was guilty
And even then I wasn't really sure (yeah yeah)
The thing I felt was guilt itself
Or maybe it was something else
Frustration at the fact that I was ever caught at all
I told a lie I multiplied it
By the time I realized it
I'd given up everything I ever loved (yeah yeah)
Cause the thing you left
When you're looking back
Is the pressure the feel that you have to act
Yeah everything is clearer when
You're looking at the past (oh no)
[Chorus]
And I don't care if I lose
Because my heroes did too
They shouted court should be adjourned
Because the jury are fools
And the judge can't decipher his left from his right
Or his right from his wrong
And we will bite the hand that thieves
We will not turn the other cheek
This is no threat
It is a promise we will keep
So what's the point pretending
When we sit behind the curtain
And there's nothing much to see
Oh yeah
I felt no pain till I was found
And I was told that I was bleeding
And even then I knew I wasn't done (yeah yeah)
Cause the wounds I get
They will just collect
Insuring that I won't forget
Reminders of the battles
That I've lost and that I've won
And I will fight until I have died
Or until all my enemies are allies
And even then I will sleep with an open eye (yeah yeah)
Cause the night is long and our hooves are strong
And I know the road we travel on
It always seems so dark
Because we've almost reached the dawn
Oh no
[Chorus]
And everyone will claim
That they knew from the beginning
That what they did was wrong
They still just went on sinning
The sudden rush you feel
When realizing everything you know
Will fade away
It haunts you deep
But you won't want to let it go
Someday we'll lose the war
But till then we will dream of winning
I won't forget
The things you said
When I was down and I was tired of it
The words you spoke
They brought me hope
When it was time to fight
We chose a side
But everyone knew that something didn't feel right
So we stood our ground
And waited for a sign
When it was time to fight
We chose a side
But everyone knew that something didn't feel right
So we stood our ground
And waited for a sign
You said don't look back
(No, no, no, no...)
Don't look back
(Don't look back
We won't go back
We've come too far
We're too high off the ground
The wheels have turned
The lessons learned)
You said don't look back
Don't look back
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The Night We Met
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Punchline
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Although religion might be a valid interpretation for this, I believe it is referring to Streetlight Manifesto's continued struggle with Victory Records. The first little chunk is talking about how their record company is telling them they are doing wrong, along with frustration at the fact that Victory is telling them they're wrong. It goes on to talk about past regrets, maybe talking about the remorse of ever signing with Victory's record label. The chorus then talks about how it is okay if they lose, because past groups signed to Victory have lost the battle as well, then maybe talking about how Victory's money buys them the right to do what they are doing due to corrupt authority figures, then finishing by saying that they, in Laymen's terms, won't take their shit and they promise that they will lash out. The second verse talked about how Streetlight was on the decline due to Victory but that their injuries, metaphorically speaking, was just a reminder of disputes won and lost with Victory. The last part of the second verse goes on to say that they will fight until Streetlight completely falls apart, or they come to an agreement with Victory, but even then, he will be weary and careful that they do him no more wrong and finally that things can always rise above. The bridge, from what I understand, talks about how everyone knew that Victory were doing wrong, but it is out of their control, they may just slowly fall apart. Now the last part really confuses me. My best guess is that it is just a thrown in part about someone who gave hope to Tomas or maybe even the whole band and they should never look back. Anyway, this may be right or completely off base, but either way it is a great song, a great album, and as always, fuck Victory Records.