My Interpretation on this is that the narrator in the song used to be with a girl that he loved so much and but during that time he was one of the cool guys at school that lived freely(partying and alcohol, etc.) and he wasn't really able to get over his former glory. on the other hand, his girlfriend/ex matured, and started thinking about their future and got a job/career. and since he became much like an alcoholic bum of a sort, he got jealous with the girl having to work all the time having no time for him so didn't felt like "he mattered to her". somewhere in there, they broke up. so one night he went to her place all drunk so he's got this "too drunk to drive" excuse to stay. Trying to somehow patch things between them by telling her that she was "the best he ever had" and that he's really sorry for having "blew up" their relationship years ago, or else they'd still be together.
On the second verse he was trying to tell her that all he really want is to be with her and that he has somehow improved that if she'd take him back, he'd no longer drink and sleep around and if she'll accept that he's still in the process of picking himself up and not to expect a great make over, then she might not be let down.
The chorus is his way of telling her that they can still do what they used to find exiting or an adrenaline rush and that by doing so, even if the past is gone, they might still be able to pick-up some of the pieces of their past and replace their past failures with a renewed love to take it's place.
The last part he says, "she took my heart", means he never got over her and probably never will.
The line "there's only one thing I couldn't start", means that he couldn't actually start the conversation with her because he was too drunk to think straight and all of these words were just running inside his head and these were all the things he wanted to tell her.
I couldn't sleep last night
'Cause I tried to forget you
In the suffocated air
I resolved to let you go
Twisted all our dreams
Til you became the nightmare
Close it off inside
Or else the hurt is gonna rise
I couldn't sleep last night
'Cause I tried to forget you
Heard the old man and the sea
Singing low
And the silver fir she cried
Never forget had gone and died
And the babes that clung to her
Had all let go
My dear she touched my skin
And oh did the skin
Set a burning
My dear she touched my skin
Where once we kissed and ran
The memory scorched the man
I have to tell you dear (ask me to hold you and I)
Death has become my breathing (far away gone and I)
My dear she touched my skin (ask me to tell you I)
And oh she did, she touched my skin (holding the ghost of a man I)
Where once we kissed and ran (ask me to tell you I)
This madness haunted the man (holding the ghost of a man)
Still I'm holding out my hand
Standing by my haunted man
Yes, your ghosts have got me too
But it's me and you
I can't run
Still I'm holding out my hand
Standing by my haunted man
Yes, your ghosts have got me too
But it's me and you
I can't run
'Cause I tried to forget you
In the suffocated air
I resolved to let you go
Twisted all our dreams
Til you became the nightmare
Close it off inside
Or else the hurt is gonna rise
I couldn't sleep last night
'Cause I tried to forget you
Heard the old man and the sea
Singing low
And the silver fir she cried
Never forget had gone and died
And the babes that clung to her
Had all let go
My dear she touched my skin
And oh did the skin
Set a burning
My dear she touched my skin
Where once we kissed and ran
The memory scorched the man
I have to tell you dear (ask me to hold you and I)
Death has become my breathing (far away gone and I)
My dear she touched my skin (ask me to tell you I)
And oh she did, she touched my skin (holding the ghost of a man I)
Where once we kissed and ran (ask me to tell you I)
This madness haunted the man (holding the ghost of a man)
Still I'm holding out my hand
Standing by my haunted man
Yes, your ghosts have got me too
But it's me and you
I can't run
Still I'm holding out my hand
Standing by my haunted man
Yes, your ghosts have got me too
But it's me and you
I can't run
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by katorade
The Haunted Man Lyrics as written by NATASHA KHAN
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
"I think the whole album is about The Haunted Man, he features in most of the songs, where he can be a lover in a relationship that's gone wrong or relationship baggage I want to let go of. In this one, it's a husband who's come back from war. It's using that metaphor of war. The man is really traumatised, the woman is trying to help. By the end of the song, the male voices and female voices are speaking to each other but it's about how men and women speak very different languages sometimes. So the women will try and fix something by being nurturing and show love and the men are saying, I just want to go to my cave. It was using the idea that my Granddad went away to war, nobody was offered help in those days, and how did that affect his relationship with my Grandma. Our families have all experience a lot of that in this country and that dynamic can come through in modern relationships too. I wanted to make it like a mini-musical, so the woman is alone and then the soldiers come over the hill and we panned the sound across so it sounds like soldiers coming over a hill. I feel like it explores all the different textures of the record. I wanted to write a song that was like a soundtrack."
Source: Qthemusic.com