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"
She comes to me at night when I'm sleeping
She comes to me when I'm alone
She comes to me She holds my head when I'm crying
She comes to me She shuts my eyes
She brings me home
But I'm not sleeping anymore
She tells me when you look at me She tells me when you're lying
She tells me when you talk about me She lays me on the floor
She tells me when you're whispering She lies beside me naked
She tells me when you laugh at me
and she locks all the doors
But I'm not sleeping anymore
1-2-3-4-5-6-7a.m.
All alone again
But I've been through all this shit before
Spend my nights in self defense
Cry about my innocence
But I ain't all that innocent anymore
I see her on the TV I see her in the movies
I see her in these animals that dance inside my head
I'll follow you down baby Down into this valley
I'll follow you down baby But I won't come up again
But I'm not sleeping anymore
She comes to me when I'm alone
She comes to me She holds my head when I'm crying
She comes to me She shuts my eyes
She brings me home
But I'm not sleeping anymore
She tells me when you look at me She tells me when you're lying
She tells me when you talk about me She lays me on the floor
She tells me when you're whispering She lies beside me naked
She tells me when you laugh at me
and she locks all the doors
But I'm not sleeping anymore
1-2-3-4-5-6-7a.m.
All alone again
But I've been through all this shit before
Spend my nights in self defense
Cry about my innocence
But I ain't all that innocent anymore
I see her on the TV I see her in the movies
I see her in these animals that dance inside my head
I'll follow you down baby Down into this valley
I'll follow you down baby But I won't come up again
But I'm not sleeping anymore
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The Night We Met
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Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I Can't Go To Sleep
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Amazing
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Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
To me, this song is all about his depression and how uncomfotable he is about becoming famous. I have put "---" before my analysis of what he has written.
Summary: “She” refers to his depression. He has personified his sadness.
She comes to me at night when I'm sleeping --- He wakes up in the morning depressed, hence, she (the depression) has come at night.
She comes to me when I'm alone --- It’s pretty apparent here that “she” is not a real person. How would he otherwise be alone?
She comes to me she holds my head when I'm crying She comes to me she shuts my eyes --- Anyone who has been truly depressed knows that depression has a comforting quality. He accepts his sadness for what it is and the depression quiets him- “holds my head why I’m crying.”
She brings me home ---- The depression brings him back down to realty. To who he really is- home.
But I'm not sleeping anymore anymore But I'm not sleeping anymore anymore --- Depression often causes insomnia.
She tells me when you look at me she tells me when you're lying She tells me when you talk about me she lays me on the floor She tells me when you're whispering, she lies beside me naked --- Here, his depression has made him paranoid. “You” are just the general public. He is suffering trying to deal with becoming famous.
She tells me when you laugh at me and she locks all the doors --- His depression/paranoia has made him anti-social at this point. “She locks all the doors”- his depression is keeping him locked inside his house. He does not want to go outside and face “you”, all the people talking, whispering, etc.
But I'm not sleeping anymore, anymore But I'm not sleeping anymore, anymore 1-2-3-4-5-6-7a.m. All alone again But I've been through all this shit before --- He has been dealing with this on-again, off-again depression and loneliness for a while.
Spend my nights in self defense Cry about my innocence But I ain't all that innocent anymore, more, more --- As he becomes famous, he does more exploring, dating, drinking, etc. and is losing his innocence. He is upset and regretful about the things he has been doing- maybe sleeping around.
I see her on the TV, I see her in the movies I see her in these animals that dance inside my head ---“Her” is still his depression. He feels like his depression is following him everywhere. He can’t get rid of it. He sees... feels it all the time, everywhere.
I'll follow you down baby, down into this valley I'll follow you down baby, but I won't come up again --- Here, he talks directly to his depression. He is saying, ‘Yes, I will get depressed again. But next time it might be so bad that I may not survive it.’ He may commit suicide.
But I'm not sleeping anymore, anymore But I'm not sleeping anymore, anymore I'm not sleeping I'm not sleeping anymore
Rain, rain, go away Come again some other day Cuz I've got all this shit to say But I'm going back to find my way My sister's mother's favorite son Lost among the chosen ones But I've got news for everyone Cuz I'm going out that door --- He is fighting back against his sadness. He is pretty much saying he won’t let it rule his life anymore. He will not let it drag him down so far that he "can't get back up." He is going to stand up and fight. “I’m going out that door”- Maybe the same door his depression had “locked” earlier in the song. He’s saying he will go back out into the public and continue to do what he does best, write songs and perform.
Just my two cents. As other people have posted, there are numerous ways to interpret this song. That's what is so great about GOOD songwriting- the real meaning/purpose isn't always staring you in the face.