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"
Oh, I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
You can't just leave me
To face life on my own
I know you don't love me no more
I knew this day it would come
Even when it cuts so deep
It's true, I still want you
But the harder I try
The more I seem to lose
'Cause I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
I've had time to recover
Now that I know it wasn't love
It's always a different story
When it's me who's in the wrong
But you can't have it all
'Cause I'm the one who's strong
I've already been burnt before
Once but never again
I know the time will come
That's when you'll need me then
'Cause I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
I've had time to recover
Now that I know it wasn't love
Ah, I don't want a lover
I just need a prayer
I know you never cared
Now that I know it wasn't love
'Cause you don't even care about what I'm saying
You don't even think what you're doing
All you see is what you want it to be
But in there, there's just no room for me, yeah
'Cause I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
I've had time to recover
Now that I know it wasn't love
'Cause you don't even care about what I'm saying
You don't even think what you're doing
All you see is what you want it to be
There's just no room there for me
'Cause I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
I've had time to recover
Now that I know it wasn't love
I don't want a lover (now that I know)
I just need a prayer (now that I know)
I know you never cared
Now that I know it wasn't love
Now that I know (now that I know), yeah
Now that I know (now that I know)
Yeah, I know it wasn't love (wasn't love)
No, it wasn't love (no, no, no)
I just need a friend
I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
You can't just leave me
To face life on my own
I know you don't love me no more
I knew this day it would come
Even when it cuts so deep
It's true, I still want you
But the harder I try
The more I seem to lose
'Cause I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
I've had time to recover
Now that I know it wasn't love
It's always a different story
When it's me who's in the wrong
But you can't have it all
'Cause I'm the one who's strong
I've already been burnt before
Once but never again
I know the time will come
That's when you'll need me then
'Cause I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
I've had time to recover
Now that I know it wasn't love
Ah, I don't want a lover
I just need a prayer
I know you never cared
Now that I know it wasn't love
'Cause you don't even care about what I'm saying
You don't even think what you're doing
All you see is what you want it to be
But in there, there's just no room for me, yeah
'Cause I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
I've had time to recover
Now that I know it wasn't love
'Cause you don't even care about what I'm saying
You don't even think what you're doing
All you see is what you want it to be
There's just no room there for me
'Cause I don't want a lover
I just need a friend
I've had time to recover
Now that I know it wasn't love
I don't want a lover (now that I know)
I just need a prayer (now that I know)
I know you never cared
Now that I know it wasn't love
Now that I know (now that I know), yeah
Now that I know (now that I know)
Yeah, I know it wasn't love (wasn't love)
No, it wasn't love (no, no, no)
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I agree with indiainksky that this song is about unrequited love. To me it's about learning about yourself and coming back stronger. It's a powerful song that says yes, i was hurt but having had time to reflect and get over you, i am back and stronger for the experience.