Unfortunatly, I've been the man in this song all too often in relationships...here's my take...
Typical of many Glen Phillips songs, the first verse exemplies the feeling of waiting for love unrequoited (sp).
I've had the same exact conversation with past girlfriends as in the first verse. Simply said, all she wants is to be loved..and she could have been happier if she had moved on long ago and found someone that could truly love her, rather than waiting for her boyfriend to make up his mind whether to committ to her or not.
In the chorus, we find "it was never a question" how this would end. He is a broken man in need of deep repair. She continutes to hold out hope and give him support and love, but he cannot return this love and instead pushes her away. Despite her best efforts, the choice is not hers alone and she cannot hold on to him.
In the third verse, yes...this is a very clear indication /extention of the second verse and implies he has been unfaithful despite her being a dutiful girlfriend.
I think many are reading the second half of the third verse wrong. He is simply saying that this: The more energy you devote to a relationship, the harder it is to accept being friends. The more she tries, the more she loves the greater her commitment to this relationship...and the more difficult it is to simply be friends when it is over.
The final verse shows her final recognition that the relationship is doomed. "Staring at a cold little hand", she she is playing a week hand (card game analogy). She now realizes just how broken and flawed he is. I don't read into this song/verse anything other than that he is a very troubled man. In the very last line, we find that she's been praying to God for help...for an answer from above, but no answer came.
In fact, in this song both our hero and heroine are broken, but they find different ways of expressing it. She devotes herself to one man, despite his flaws...all the while she could be happier if she moved on. He can't commit to any single women, even thought there is one that loves him despite all his flaws.
Unfortunatly, I've been the man in this song all too often in relationships...here's my take...
Typical of many Glen Phillips songs, the first verse exemplies the feeling of waiting for love unrequoited (sp).
I've had the same exact conversation with past girlfriends as in the first verse. Simply said, all she wants is to be loved..and she could have been happier if she had moved on long ago and found someone that could truly love her, rather than waiting for her boyfriend to make up his mind whether to committ to her or not.
In the chorus, we find "it was never a question" how this would end. He is a broken man in need of deep repair. She continutes to hold out hope and give him support and love, but he cannot return this love and instead pushes her away. Despite her best efforts, the choice is not hers alone and she cannot hold on to him.
In the third verse, yes...this is a very clear indication /extention of the second verse and implies he has been unfaithful despite her being a dutiful girlfriend.
I think many are reading the second half of the third verse wrong. He is simply saying that this: The more energy you devote to a relationship, the harder it is to accept being friends. The more she tries, the more she loves the greater her commitment to this relationship...and the more difficult it is to simply be friends when it is over.
The final verse shows her final recognition that the relationship is doomed. "Staring at a cold little hand", she she is playing a week hand (card game analogy). She now realizes just how broken and flawed he is. I don't read into this song/verse anything other than that he is a very troubled man. In the very last line, we find that she's been praying to God for help...for an answer from above, but no answer came.
In fact, in this song both our hero and heroine are broken, but they find different ways of expressing it. She devotes herself to one man, despite his flaws...all the while she could be happier if she moved on. He can't commit to any single women, even thought there is one that loves him despite all his flaws.
Man...have I been there...