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I think you could take a pessimistic view on this song, but from the way it sounds to me, I choose the optimistic view.

For those of you who know the BNL song 'Break Your Heart', he considers himself a coward for never getting out of the relationship when he know he should have and then finally gets the courage to leave at the end and is very happy.

In this case, instead of leaving, he realizes that despite the problems in the relationship, he cannot turn his back on this woman. He's already where he wants to be. He is already home. Then when they are old, he wonders if she'll ever realize how close he was to leaving.

I agree with you whoson1st, except I think that he keeps trying to leave, then finally does ("end of the road i'm running, look back to survey where I've been"), but then realizes that what he left was indeed home... i think... i really don't know. as soon as i start thinking one thing i see it a different way... but i do know one thing... the line "you may have won my hand dear, but it was the consolation prize" makes me scared inside. I don't know why... i might be scared that i myself might be told that, i don't know. this is definately my favorite BNL song, though

I agree about that line "you may have won my hand dear, but it was the consolation prize". It sounds like HE wasn't HER first choice, or at least he thought he wasn't.

I think the line "you may have won my hand dear, but it was the consolation prize" is the best line in the song. It's so heartbreaking, but I think it means he married her, even though she wasn't his real love, so the marriage is consolation to marriage and true love. I dont think it means he was her consolation.

I always change my mind about what the song means, but to me, i think he wants the relationship to go in a certain direction and the lines "Knowing you'd never travel far That's what you do when someone's given up on you" means he realised she wouldnt go that way, and she has given up on him, then later in the song the meaning changes to him giving up on trying to go that way, then he thinks about running out and going alone. then he goes, and realises he wanted to stay with her, at home.

I cant decide, the meaning changes depending what mood i'm in :P

I've been listening to this song over and over and over and like all of you, kept seeing it in different ways. But I think I finally figured it out with your help.

In the first refrain, he's talking about how he found her just AFTER some other guy, presumably somebody she really loves, gave up on her and she was devastated. Even though he knows that's the state of mind she's in, he still gives up and gives in and gets with her. He thinks he's willing to accept this.

Second refrain, he knows he wasn't her first choice and that she never really got over the first guy, so yes, he's considering giving up on her and leaving. Even though he loves her and thought he could live with this realization, he's no longer sure he can or should, because after all, leaving is what you do "when time is running out, running down".

In the bridge, though, he realizes that he truly loves her or he would've left already. "Where does the heart reside, if not where I lay my head." And he's more afraid of not having her than of staying with her even with the knowledge that he's not her first choice.

And then I agree with Whoson that the ending is about him thinking back at how close he was to leaving and maybe he'll ask her someday if she knows how close he came and that he's known all along that she always loved the other guy more, but he just couldn't turn his back on her.

No matter how you interpret it, it's a beautiful song in so many ways.