Closer

This song is about the sort of woman that is strong (intelligent, stubborn, outspoken and unyielding), but who fails to recognize the beauty in vulnerability. It also illustrates how emotional detachment can hurt relationships.

"We're alone again.. I wish it were over, we seem to never end" Most couples only argue when they are alone, however, this may represent that they are temporarily separated because of their dispute. Either way, this represents an unending quarrel (an eternal argument), which is what can happen when two strong wills collide, and negotiation and compromise (for the sake of love) are absent. More importantly, when he wishes it were over, he's not saying he wishes the relationship would end, but rather he wishes they could resolve their problems.

"The clouds in your eyes, down your face they pour": Clouds are used here to describe the overt facial expressions that are the harbingers of tears. But, like a cloudy day that produces no rain, her facial expressions fall short of tears. This woman cannot fully express her vulnerability... so she refuses to cry... she must at all costs be seen as a strong independent woman... "Down your face they pour": clouds don't pore, rain does, but she's not crying so instead Radin refers to her emotional expression as poring clouds (a sour puss). To Radin, "pouring clouds" is an unsatisfying expression of her emotion, so he is compelling her to go the next step: cry.

The crux: "Won't you be the new one burn to shine" Here he is asking her to change and open up. (Burning in many religions is a release of the soul and the start of a new and amazing journey.) He's asking her to destroy the half-person that is hiding behind false strength that is expressed in her emotional detachment and release the whole person concealed below. In doing this, she will release the full potential of her soul. She will then "shine" which is associated with light, the good there is in the world, life, happiness, enlightenment.

"I take the blue ones every time" does not refer to eye color, nor is it an obscure reference to “The Matrix”. These views are too restrictive in the context of these meaningful lyrics. Rather it says that Radin prefers someone that can express appropriate emotions, and specifically, sadness, which is not the same as being EMO. He's not looking for an emotional wreck of a person, merely someone that has emotional depth.

"Walk me down your broken line": The broken line indicates that the parts that are broken are normally not visible (they are concealed from view). So by asking her to "walk [him] down [her] broken line" he is requesting that she invite him into the part of her she keeps from him, the side of her that is not perfect... her vulnerable side. But a side of her that he wants to understand, appreciate and embrace.

"All you have to do is cry": here he's saying that it is not about being right or wrong in an argument, or in a relationship. It's about touching each other, about being honest with each other; such that he can deal with their daily differences of opinion (those trivial discussions that at the end of love seems so irrelevant to the loss). He is in essence giving her an ultimatum: he can't stay with a person that refuses to open up and continues to close herself off emotionally. He's saying cry and allow him to love her fully.

"Hush my baby now... your talking is just noise and won't lay me down": This again refers to the arguing. To Radin, her words are meaningless noise if they are devoid of her emotional attachment to those words. It also says that what is keeping them apart is not their differences of opinion, but rather their lack of emotional connection. "Lay me down" doesn't necessarily mean sex, but rather his bed (the place where he rests his head, body and soul), a place where he'll want to stay, perhaps a place to build a life. Such that her refusal to be emotionally open will prevent him from fully committing to her.

"Amongst your toys in a room where i can take no more" Now this is a stretch, but toys denotes immature behavior.. for example the quote from Corinthians 13:11: "I put away childish [toys]", he's saying that her view of what it means to be strong was learned as a child from her parents who probably, like her, shared similar views on emotional detachment. He's asking her to take an independent and mature step in her self-discovery and learn to express herself... because if she doesn't change he can no longer endure the pain of the emotional divide that has grown between them = he'll leave her.

The bridge: "Photographs and brightly colored paper, are your mask you wear in this caper" This merely describes how she is hiding herself... acting as if she is impervious to sadness... (which truly is not a quality well rounded adults should seek to possess). Photographs are a form of nostalgia that often don't describe the true essence of their content; they are one-dimensional. That is to say that he's saying that her lack of emotional expression diminishes her. Brightly colored paper suggests that she has a tendency to gloss over things and pretends that things are alright, while concealing her true feelings about things. The use of the word "caper" implies that her behavior is criminal with respect to its effect on their relationship; and that she doesn't take the relationship seriously, and that perhaps she is merely using the relationship as a means of temporary entertainment.

... (bridge continued): "that is our life, we walk right into the strife": here he's attributing their collective relationship problems to her inability to open up. And that despite what she thinks, her emotional detachment is the source of their problems... not the saving grace.

... (bridge continued): "and a tear from your eye brings me home": Here he's doing what guys so often are accused of not doing; he's being honest with her about his feelings and his desires. He's telling her that he's hers if she opens up to him emotionally. "Home" is a carefully selected word here. The word "home" provokes many emotions in people, mostly positive, but for some unfortunate people (perhaps his girlfriend) home was a place of great unpleasantness and emotional isolation. But in general, "home" is related to the positive aspects of family... one's life, a place where one finds comfort, support and a sense of permanence. He's telling her that he's ready to commit to her if she would just open up to him... show him that she wants a real connection with him.

Note: it should be understood that Radin takes no joy in his girlfriend's pain, such that he doesn't want her to cry because he wants to see her in pain. Rather, the term "tears" is selected by Radin as a figurative and extreme example of one's willingness to be emotionally available.

Commentary: I appreciate assertive, smart and independent women. But there are some women today (perhaps the fault of men and commerce) that want so badly to express strength that they (like so many men) close themselves off emotionally. They don't want to appear vulnerable. However, the expression of sadness neither indicates weakness nor confirms strength. Rather, the ability to express a full range of emotions is just confirmation that one embraces being human. Moreover, it confirms one's ability to be emotionally honest, which is the cornerstone of a solid and lasting relationship.