Diamonds

To me I take it as h's comparing her to a diamond, and when you think of diamonds you think of beauty, perfection, flawless. And that he's no good in comparison and pretty much dull in comparison to the point where he fades if he stands too close. So pretty much the message I get from it is that he doesn't feel he's good enough for her and he's put her on top of this pedestal. And perhaps she's tried to change him, but as we all know people don't change. And he realizes this so he's just wanting to let go of her or "fade" And he really has no words like he said in the last line of the song. It's just better or the both of them to move on. Even though he obviously loves her enough to compare her to such a beautiful item such as the likes of a diamond.

I think when he says "I'm no good next to diamonds," he is referring to the gem in an engagement ring. He means that when it comes time to commit to marrying someone, he can't, and he ultimately disappoints them. "When I'm too close they start to fade." When he starts to get close to marrying someone he becomes even more distant than he had ever been in the past.

I think the song is referring to him being with a girl who broke up with a 'soul mate' and tried to get over it with a one night stand (from shallow nonsense = fooling around).

However it developed into a relationship when she started to feel a connection with him, partly to try and forget about the old lover (did you always want me to be something to mend a broken heart).

The songwriter however couldn't compare to the ex lover, who meant everything to the girl (I'm no good next to diamonds..when I'm too close I start to fade). He is apologising for not being able to compare.

However the other answers sound good too!

Ugh, this song gives me all the bad feels but I do love the song itself. For me, it's one of those that came up at the exact perfect time in my life that when I heard it, I was like THIS IS ABOUT MY LIFE. GREAT.

For my situation, I'm definitely the person the narrator is singing to, and in the narrator was my best friend at the time.

Catching feelings for your best friend = never a good thing.

I definitely was putting him up on a pedestal (comparing him to diamonds), and I was upset when he continuously did not live up to my expectations, because he simply didn't return my romantic feelings for him, although he did care for me as a friend.

I think as I tried to get closer to him, he kept trying to pull away. I was angry, and I did blame him, and he truly didn't want to hurt me, but it is what it is.

So moral of the story: don't put people on pedestals cos you're just gonna be an angry, irrational jerk if they don't live up to your ridiculous expectations.

Lesson learned for me, but our friendship didn't survive and that's a bummer. This song always reminds me of that. sigh

I think the song is about a guy who can't seem to please his wife and feels trapped in his current life. He is a man who is often misunderstood and has trouble getting close although he longs to.. He desires to be free of the life he has 'created' for himself but can't find refuge.

I guess this song goes about someone who grabs something he can't have( girlfriend of a friend) and then has to explain himself to both the girl and his friend.

For me this song portrays the singer's feelings of not being good enough for a girl. He can't get past that and therefore he breaks it off.

I think the song is about making excuses and taking blame for a marriage ending in a divorce.

I believe the diamonds he references are ‘perfection’ (perfect person/mate) but, he loses interest. Perfection does not hold his attention as he gets close “they start to fade”. The person he is singing to clearly expected more from his attentions. He regrets failing them, but in the end it was their expectations of him. Never his intent. He is sorry for the pain/upset caused, but he is the way he is. Perhaps even wishing he was different.

Failing someone who didn't deserve it ,while all the time you know you were wrong.