Keep The Dogs At Bay

This song speaks to me. To me it sounds like a relationship with someone who cant get their crap together. They are heading no where and it brings you down.

"When it all come's down, what will be the cost A cold hard ground is refuge for the lost Feed the flies, stave the hunger off Breath the lies expel them with a cough"

At the end of the day in this persons life that can get it together, what will be the cost? Death (cold hard ground is all that awaits those lost, it becomes there refuge from being lost in life) feeding the flies? (death again)

"You'll never keep me safe from harm The hurt just keep's on coming on I'm still trying to figure it out I'm still finding reason's to believe in better day's I'm still trying to figure it out I'm still trying to figure how to keep the dog's at bay"

Singer says this person never keeps them safe from harm, how they live their life hurts him, drags him down causes him mental or physical harm. Yet deep down he holds out hope for this person, trying to look for anything positive in them to hold on to. But he's got to keep the person at a distance (keep the dogs at bay) cause even though he's hopeful it always ends in harm for him holding out hope.

"When the leaves turn brown and all hope is lost Make no sound and brush emotion's off Breed inside, a fear that leaves you soft Breath a sigh and write that epitaph"

Now when the inevitable happens and this person that they hold out hope for hits that dead end dies. " The leaves turn brown all hope is lost" He's trying to grasp things but has to just make no sound brush his feelings off. He's struggling with how to comprehened. Then he sighs and gets to do writing whatever positive thing he can about this person who he clearly cared about but could do nothing for them, a eulogy.

It speaks to me with having a sibling throw their life away with drugs and alcohol. Can't change what they do, always holding out hope. But they keep hurting you over and over. And with how severe the substance abuse is, you know there's only one end to it, the cold hard ground. The Struggle trying to figure out a way to keep them close but keep them at a distance so you don't keep getting hurt.

Well I'm sure Shawn had his own meaning for this song but to me I relate to it through my suffering with severe depression, which, although I'm through the worst it's still something I struggle with.

Cold hard ground is refuge for the lost - that feeling of being rock bottom. Breath out lies, expel them with a cough - the lies you tell everyone that you're ok.

The chorus is self explanatory, 'still finding reasons to believe in better days' and 'still trying to figure how to keep the dogs at baby now' to me, remind me massively with my depression and struggling to stay positive and stop the depression taking over again.