Everyone's interpretation is interesting to read :)
I always interpreted it as a love/obsession song about a specific person. It seems much too strong of a song to not be about someone specific. I don't know about a one sided relationship. It seems more like a discrete relationship between someone with maybe a conventional upbringing or image and someone who would not be accepted by a conventional group of peers/family. A social mismatch. I agree with One Small Instrument on that. It seems really clear to me with the "Strange infatuation" and "I'm unclean, a libertine" lyrics. The relationship is not accepted by other people... hence "strange". And the stress from that is making said "libertine" realize that the relationship is falling apart. Venting your spleen is venting feelings of anger and spite. And I don't think it's so much anger or spite towards the other person in the relationship... more like anger and spite at the situation and complications from the relationship having to be discrete. And when it happens the other doesn't know how to respond... and it grows so the relationship is slipping. The srange infatuation gracing the "evening tide" just seems like it's something hidden planned and careful. And "You grow me like an evergreen, you've never seen the lonely me at all"... an evergreen never loses it's needles it looks the same year in and out. It seems to be a constant when it really does change and grow. So being grown like an evergreen is like changing and maturing in a relationship without the relationship changing. And without the other person acknowledging or allowing changes. They just see the constant, the person who will always be there for them and they take it for granted. They don't understand how empty the other feels when they're not with them. And the one singing the song is running out of imagination and sureness. They see that time is running out. They try and spin things in their head to cope, but when the end of the relationship seems obvious it only hits them harder... and they fall. Then they plead. "Without you I'm nothing at all."
It's very sad to me. But very very passionate and warm.
Thats my own personal interpretation. A cinderella story without a happy ending.
Everyone's interpretation is interesting to read :)
I always interpreted it as a love/obsession song about a specific person. It seems much too strong of a song to not be about someone specific. I don't know about a one sided relationship. It seems more like a discrete relationship between someone with maybe a conventional upbringing or image and someone who would not be accepted by a conventional group of peers/family. A social mismatch. I agree with One Small Instrument on that. It seems really clear to me with the "Strange infatuation" and "I'm unclean, a libertine" lyrics. The relationship is not accepted by other people... hence "strange". And the stress from that is making said "libertine" realize that the relationship is falling apart. Venting your spleen is venting feelings of anger and spite. And I don't think it's so much anger or spite towards the other person in the relationship... more like anger and spite at the situation and complications from the relationship having to be discrete. And when it happens the other doesn't know how to respond... and it grows so the relationship is slipping. The srange infatuation gracing the "evening tide" just seems like it's something hidden planned and careful. And "You grow me like an evergreen, you've never seen the lonely me at all"... an evergreen never loses it's needles it looks the same year in and out. It seems to be a constant when it really does change and grow. So being grown like an evergreen is like changing and maturing in a relationship without the relationship changing. And without the other person acknowledging or allowing changes. They just see the constant, the person who will always be there for them and they take it for granted. They don't understand how empty the other feels when they're not with them. And the one singing the song is running out of imagination and sureness. They see that time is running out. They try and spin things in their head to cope, but when the end of the relationship seems obvious it only hits them harder... and they fall. Then they plead. "Without you I'm nothing at all."
It's very sad to me. But very very passionate and warm.
Thats my own personal interpretation. A cinderella story without a happy ending.