Sleepwalking

so as with the whole theme of the album this song deals with ghosts. to me it could go a few ways, he could be a ghost, he could be about to die, he could be just depressed remembering old things. in any case he is unhappy with how things have ended up for him(I got a picture on the mantlepiece Of the way that I thought that we'd end up But this shares no resemblance to that). All he dreams about is the past because he is dwelling on it and wishing things were different and eventually the rain stops and the sun comes out which symbolizes his coming to terms with the past. and part of this coming to terms with his past is understanding that the past will always follow us, it is a part of us, and he must learn to live with it.

Most of the song ties in with this phrase toward the end:

"We're all still a part of everything that we were And we'll all float along with everything"

Think of that in the beginning of the song.

"And I woke up in the kitchen sink With an umbrella full of holes overtop my head"

He's literally something in the sink. A plate or bowl or cup, and there's a overturned strainer on top of him.

"I fell asleep on the table with your picture in hand And I woke up in the cupboard With some scrapes on my arms and a mouthful of hell"

Then he was a picture frame, holding a dear one. Then he woke up in a cupboard. He's a cup, maybe full of dust.

His picture is on the mantle, placed there after he died. He looks at it and admired it, thinking death doesn't feel the way that picture looks.

"I tore the dreams from my head and tossed them in the flames And the smoke smelled like my past"

He's suggesting that, in death, he can't fade away until he purges memories from his soul. So he does, and it's painful.

"We're all still a part of everything that we were And we'll all float along with everything And in turn, we'll all fall apart with everything But we'll learn just what things are like outside our heads"

This is what I mentioned at the beginning. He's experiencing the world both outside of himself and part of every object, because of his ethereal state of existence.

"And I hear them singing And I hear my name And I feel you scrub my skin And I was happy to fade"

He's at his funeral. Singing hyms, hearing his name in stories, feeling his loved ones near his body. Then he fades.

The song seems to be about dying possibly a drug overdose, "Got a picture on the mantle piece Of the way that I thought that we'd end up But it shares no resemblance to that Yeah, that shares no resemblance to that I tore the dreams from my head and tossed them in the flames And the smoke smelled like my past And it stung my eyes, but I was too stubborn to blink" he seams to be having dreams as he is dying and he remembers a picture on a mantle piece possibly of a depiction of heaven but what he is experiencing has no resemblance to the picture. He recollects all his memories through these dreams. "I woke up when I saw the sun And wiped the sleep from my eyes, yeah I knew my time had come We're all still a part of everything that we were And we'll all float along with everything And in turn, we'll all fall apart with everything We'll learn just what things are like outside our heads And I hear them singing I hear my name I feel you scrub my skin And I was happy to fade" He may be describing being rushed to the hospital in the morning, he opens his eyes and realizes he is going to die, he thinks of how we as people float along with the world and in turn will fall with the world and when dying we will know what things are like outside our heads, maybe the family or doctors are saying his name as he is dying, he feels the physicians or nurses scrubbing his skin possibly before an operation and he is happy to die.

In my opinion I believe this song is about the death or loss of someone dear, presumably a lover or a brother, and the ultimate decision to opt out of the world instead of living with the pain.

"I fell asleep in the chair by the fireplace And I woke up in the kitchen sink" This line suggests he's been drinking a lot. Especially considering he woke up in the kitchen sink (though not literally i don't think). It shows that there's a lapse in time and gives off teh idea he's unsure how he got from the living room to the kitchen.

"I fell asleep on the table with your picture in hand.......with some scrapes on my arms and a mouthful of hell" Obviously the picture is of someone dear to him, that he lost in some manner, whether trhough death or the end of a relationship. "Scrapes on my arms" suggest that there was fight or some physical conflict between them, otherwise I wouldn't see the point of him mentioning it in the same stanza as the photograph.

The next verse simply establishes that though time has passed "dust has settled over everything" that things haven't really changed, that the world is still turning it's normal course even with his loss. This is indicated by the use of the words "again" and "still" in that same stanza.

"got a picture on the mantlepiece Of the way that I thought that we'd end up But this shares no resemblance to that...."

This is pretty obvious. There's a photo of him and this unidentified person in his home which further drives the importance of their relationship. The way he thought they'd end up again indicates that it was probably a lover. The picture is likely a photo of them together, he thought they'd end up together. Following my break down thus far, it's evident that whoever they are they have left for good, and it hurts, but he can't get past it. The dust showing the pass of significant time and the fact that he still has multiple photos of this person supports that.

The first three lines in the following verse indicates his nostalgia i believe. He's in deep thought, and a place where even though the smoke stung his eyes, it didn't matter. Much like when one is depressed hunger and ambition seems to fade.

"I slept inside the piano 'till the rain was gone. And I woke up when I saw the sun. And wiped the sleep from my eyes. Yeah, I knew my time had come"

The sun or sunlight (or light really) usually indicates a new beginning, literally a new day. The phrase "my time has come' or "your time has come" is almost always related to death. I doubt that it is any different here. He woke up and understood that he would no longer be able to continue his life because i suppose, he had no reason to live. The new beginning indicated would be attained through death.

"And we'll all float along with everything And in turn, we'll all fall apart with everything But we'll learn just what things are like outside our heads"

This, to me, can be understood that no matter what. LIfe goes on. That we'll "float along with everything" because that's the way it goes. The last two lines hint that when things go bad, and we leave our physical state of being, that we'll be able to better understand...the world? The universe? Life? Ourseleves? I'm not quite sure.

"And I hear them singing And I hear my name And I feel you scrub my skin And I was happy to fade"

The sound of this last verse, and feeling it gives off is that of like a holy or, heavenly feel to me. The combination of the sounds and how he choses to singing these lyrics bestoys a calm and reassurance. The singing of friends, maybe strangers, embracing him. They call out to him, to encourage that him into believing that is where he wants to be. And thats pecial someone, he feels them (i believe the word is "tug" not "scrub") tugging on him, indicating that they are pulling him in. Then finally, the act of comitting to the illusion, of taking his own life willing. To "fade" or, ultimately, die, happy that he would be in a better place now. Where he could start anew.

Of course this is all hypothetical and I could be totally wrong but it just makes sense to me :P