I think I figured it out, took some research. His parents were divorced when he was like 12. he is in fact talking about his mother, who way probobly an alchohaulic (where did all the wine go. And pick yourself up from the bar now). he is singing the song to both her, and us. this is why he switches from calling her "you" and "she" which makes it complicated. He seems to believe that her marriage was a mistake because she wasn't prepared given her problems. "The avalanche" is the crisis that is waiting to happen, which is when he was born. He believes his mother never took responsibility for the avalanche. This is where his plate gets stolen, because her life crisis fell on him. She is tortured, and showing them (himself and his siblings) what love is all about, when she cannot. Once the divorce happens, he claims that nostalgia and sobering up, begin to happen, but her nostalgia, which leave him (Linkous) out of the picture because he wasn't born, prompt her to behave like a little girl again. it's an waful cycle which makes her internal life mess become Linkouses problem too.
I think I figured it out, took some research. His parents were divorced when he was like 12. he is in fact talking about his mother, who way probobly an alchohaulic (where did all the wine go. And pick yourself up from the bar now). he is singing the song to both her, and us. this is why he switches from calling her "you" and "she" which makes it complicated. He seems to believe that her marriage was a mistake because she wasn't prepared given her problems. "The avalanche" is the crisis that is waiting to happen, which is when he was born. He believes his mother never took responsibility for the avalanche. This is where his plate gets stolen, because her life crisis fell on him. She is tortured, and showing them (himself and his siblings) what love is all about, when she cannot. Once the divorce happens, he claims that nostalgia and sobering up, begin to happen, but her nostalgia, which leave him (Linkous) out of the picture because he wasn't born, prompt her to behave like a little girl again. it's an waful cycle which makes her internal life mess become Linkouses problem too.