I Want To Break Free

I've pondered the meaning of this song for 25 years--it has a deep personal meaning to me, and has always left me perplexed, because a guy that I was dating & deeply in love with dedicated the song to me at a bar one night. Our relationship was young, but we felt the same way about each other--in fact, he had professed deep love for me on our second date, despite being on the heels of a recent break-up.I honestly didn't know what the song meant, or what he meant by dedicating it to me As I think about it all these years later, I can't help but think that the song conveys a man's feelings of wanting to 'break free' from one relationship to pursue a new one; leave a relationship where his feeling have not exactly been returned, yet he was afraid of walking out that door & being alone if things don't work out.. His insecurities have kept him trapped in one relationship, and a bit hesitant to pursue a new one as he says "you're so self satisfied, I don't need you." He seems truly overwhelmed by his new lover, whom he proclaims to be his first true love (as my boyfriend did me), & saying " I can't get over the way you love me like you do." My boyfriend felt this way also--I accepted & loved him unconditionally, not just in spite of his flaws, but because of them--they made him who he was. So I think he was scared by these feelings, that someone could love him wholly & unconditionally. He ultimately does break free, immersed in a new relationship, but seems to express some remorse at the end of the song--perhaps leaving a long-term relationship for someone new, he felt apologetic, explaining why he had to break free & still a tad unsteady without her familiarity by his side. That's the best meaning I've come up with after years of thinking about that night in the bar! I suppose I could have asked him what he meant by playing it for me & never once questioned this!