In State

Actually this song is meant to be a prequel of sorts to KE's Six O'Clock news. "I was just imagining what might have led up to the police standoff in 'Six O'Clock News," KE said in an interview this year. "It's a very different kind of song, but I wanted to explore how someone gets into that kind of desperate situation" The man in this song is not treating his girlfriend well, and her message is that she knows all of the illegal stuff that he does, and if he doesn't shape up and start treating her well, she's going to see to it that he's off to prison for 20.

Nice find about it being a prequel to Six O'Clock News. I think it's pretty clear that the guy she's singing about is a criminal. Probably more of a low-rent petty one than some connected mobster, though. She's contemplating/threatening to turn him in to the police if he doesn't change on his own. Hence that "her face" couldn't make him give it up, but maybe some hard time will.

I think it's about a thief who keeps saying that this will be his last theft, but he always lies about it.

Nah, I think it's about a lover who is violently abusive and she is threatening to go public with him. "Maybe 20 years in state will change your mind." Kickass guitar riffs in this song though.

Actually I think Deckers is right too, it's about someone who leads a life of crime. Perhaps a mob type, but does not talk about what he does all day to his lover. Still he has probably wronged her somehow, which is why she is threatening him with jail.

'absolutely' huh? pretty definite and objective for something that's purely subjective... Anyway, I think the Link "My face couldn't make you leave it behind." is the most telling one. She's involved with someone who's into crime of some sort, and she wishes he'd give it up for her, but he won't, so she's jealous and threatening him with going to the cops. Also meshes with the statement about this being a prequel to the the other song...

"cuz i know where the cops hang out" is about her driving down the high way and after about 3 times she realized that the cops hang around the same places, quite literally she knew

At first I thought tihs song was about a girl who knows her boyfriend is cheating on her, because of: "You've got an answer for every little thing. You can't even tell me where you've been."
and the part about dont say you'll change. But now the continuing reference to jail time, cops, and all that, I think you guys might be on the right track with the criminal.

This song is absolutely not about a criminal. It is about two people in love, she loves and cares about him more than he does her. It seems like he is an alcoholic. She knows he is just using her but she thinks she can change him. Cuz I know where the cops hang out, I know where you'll be found, I know what you're all about. I know when you're going down.

I think these first two lines are saying she knows the town so well, and she knows him so well.