Kill

I'm assuming that a) this song is based off of Elliott Smith's Roman Candle and the extremely familiar rhyme scheme/music/lyrical content is not a coincidence, and that b) Elliott Smith's song Roman Candle was written about his step-father, which seems suggested by the lyrics due to Elliott's past relationship with him. So therefore, I am assuming this song is about a father figure as well.

He took the stable Bred me to be a mare Made the bretheren able Gave me a room

So his father (he) took the place where he was born (stable), and had him only to have grandchildren and continue the family (I make this assumption from context later in the song, which I will mention, as well as the mare being a female horse who has had at least one fowl, as well as the next line) He made male descendants possible (Made the brethren able) and provided shelter for him (gave him a room)

I never asked him I never meant to stay He dressed the table Wore a dress to be my mare

He never asked his father to give him a room, and it was not his will to stay in there. The father provided food to him (dressed the table), and acted as a mother figure to him. (this was the context i spoke of, there is no other explanation for the father acting as the mare that i can see.)

There's no permanence When you never leave the stall He ran to other wars Won't write me at all

There's nothing left behind but memories once you leave your home, there's nothing to keep from your past relationships with your father. (No permanence when you leave the stall.) His father left to fight in wars. (maybe the word other here means that they fought a lot, as many fathers and sons do, and their relationship was like a war. or, perhaps the job of providing for his son was a fight to him.) Now that his male descendants were assured, he wasn't afraid to die. His purpose was served, his son was unimportant to him beyond this, so he never wrote to him or tried to contact him. (wont write me at all)

I want to kill him I want to cut his brain And when it's over I know I'll feel okay

The repressed hate and anger, the frustration in not being able to do anything but bottle up the pain, the thought, rather the absolute certainty, that if he could bring pain to his father then he would feel better about what happened to them. I don't believe that hurting him would really make him feel better, this is just how much pain he is in, but this is just my opinion.

He was a champion We were riding side by side Into the frontier He left me without a ride

They are still horses in the song, so the meaning of champion might mean that his dad was not only great, but fully grown. They were tackling this wilderness that we call life together (riding side by side into the frontier.) Then his father just abandoned him to fight in the war, leaving nothing for his son but a memory.

Where did the hour go When the champions intercede? He stole the cargo Took every chance to leave

He's asking why he was never given a moment (where did the hour go) to plea in an attempt to persuade him not to go off to die in a war. I am also assuming he is a man at this point, since they are now both champions. (when the champions intercede?) He took everything of value that belonged to him and his son (stole the cargo) and attempted to leave whenever he thought possible.

There's no permanence When you never leave the stall He ran to other wars Won't write me at all

I want to kill him I want to cut his brain And when it's over I know I'll feel okay

I want to kill him I want to cut his face And when it's over I know I'll feel okay

I want I want I want I want