Carolina

Definitly asking a girl for forgiveness. Don't know if it is actually a Carolina or if that is just a name that went with the song... I sure like it. He wants her back, and knows that "your're just as lonely too". "Desperate hearts are hearts that need someone". That shouldn't be "dearts" I'm assuming.

I think he's saying that he is sorry for using her, emotionally. He doesn't know anything about her other than they both need someone to fill a void in their lives. 'What if and why not and whos to say" meaning he's trying to tell himself he could love her...but he probably doesn't.

I think he meets a girl he really likes but soon starts wondering whether he actually does like her as much as he thought, or if he's just somehow using her to feel emotions to help him write his songs. He apologises to the girl, saying he's a mess, he's lonely and tends to get really excited about new relationships but those feelings fade out really quickly, like it's happened with her.

He's making an emphasis on it not being the first time that something like this has happened to him (the using someone without meaning harm) by saying "another heart to steal" or the whole "this is just my tendency" line.

I love this song... I think you guys are right about the general meaning of the song...

I love that he starts out with the setting "Tennessee, January, Everything, ordinary"

and in walks this girl (from Carolina?) as if he's referring to her by where she's from. At least that's what I take from it.

I'm gonna see him play in october - yayyyyyyyyy

I think he's asking this girl to ask him if he's really not as serious about the girl he's singing about as he thinks. He has a tendency to look at a girl and have that instantaneous feeling that makes him fall in love, or develop a crush, and he often just is in it for the chase.. to see if he can steal her heart. But he's asking for forgiveness ahead of time before things get too serious, and she realizes he might have just been playing games with her.

Im wondering if there is anyone else besides me who believes that this song is about one of the states, north or south Carolina, as opposed to a person?

It's about a girl from myspace. This is definite fact. I assume she must have been from Carolina. Seeing as he tours a lot he meets a lot of people and would like to get to know them better but it's hard for him to do that when they live in different places. That's just my take.