Hollow

I feel like this song is about trying to move on from someone you love for whatever reason. We've all had that hollow feeling as though we can't face the emptiness of losing someone so special to us.

This song reminds me of Evil Angel only because of the part of being afraid to be left alone. This song is like a plea to not be left alone. Someone tells you they will never leave you and then they do. Evil Angel told the story of fake friends, or someone of pretended to be there for you. I guess the major similarity is the main person is so afraid to be left alone - maybe a phobia of Ben's he hasn't stated?

This is obviously a song about a relationship that literally tortures him. Everyone's interpretation will vary.

He was in a relationship with someone who made him feel like no one else did or could. She’s moved on, but he doesn’t want her to, because he can't. He’s not content with being in her past or being the other guy or a one night stand (or whatever he is now to her). He wants it all, meaning he wants to be the only one and wants her full undivided attention and love. There were a lot of lies in the relationship and a lot of pain. He wants her to let all that go and start over new. He won’t let her go and will always be there for her. When he says chemicals collide, I think she gave herself to him for a night. He repeats that he doesn’t want enough, but that he wants it all. He wants more with her than what’s she’s willing to give .

It’s a very cute and tragic song. He loves her, but I almost think she’s too wild to be tamed, almost like a free spirt. ”Set the earth on fire” Those kind of people do whatever they want with whoever they want and are extremely hard to “capture”. He wants her to commit and maybe settle down with him, but she’s not having it.

Throughout the song he tells her he feels hollow, cold, and shallow. At the end of the song, he says he’s come undone. He snaps.

HOLLOW Stay alive Heaven holds a place for us tonight (He’s either referring to a joint suicide or them getting back together) I am paralyzed (He can’t live without her).

Close your eyes Drive away the cloud that hides the light (There is something that they hide. The truth. The cloud represents the darkness and something blocking the truth) And leave the pain behind (Forget about what hurts you) Dead alive (they might be alive but their feelings are dead) Find a way to bury all the lies (he wants her to find a way to accept what happened) Escape the pain inside (and maybe it’ll hurt less for her) ‘Cause I don’t want to fall (He doesn’t want to lose) Or let you go (He loves her so letting go is the last thing he wants)

Love left me hollow (She left him feeling hollow) I’m with you in the end (He’ll always be with her) Cold, crippled, and shallow (He feels like his emotions are cold towards other women. He’s crippled by the love she gave him. He’s become a shallow person) Don’t leave me here again (He’s begging her to never leave him again)

Fruit of life (She is his meaning in life and gives him reason) I can hear the voices of the hive (He can hear her calling) Chemicals collide (This would be love during passionate sex) Loaded smile (She smiles a lot I guess) Light the way for those you left behind (She leaves all her exes wanting more) Set the earth on fire (She’s wild and fierce I’m guessing) ‘Cause I don’t want enough (He’s not satisfied with having some of her. He won’t be the “Other” guy, or a one night stand, or someone she “used” to date) I want it all (He wants all her attention and undivided love. Everything she has to give… he wants that. The deepest part of her love)

Love left me hollow (Her love left him feeling hollow inside) I’m with you in the end (In the end, he’ll always be there for her. She’s not someone he can just forget) Cold, crippled, and shallow (He’s cold towards other women, crippled by the love she gave him, and has become shallow) Don’t leave me here again (He doesn’t want her to leave him behind. He doesn’t want to be forgotten) I can’t go on (He can’t continue without her love) You are bound to break me in (He will snap if he can’t have her.) I come undone (He loses it every once and a while. Her love she gave him left him a mess) Don’t you drag me down again (He feels like she drags him down. This might because she won’t give herself fully to him)

I’ve come undone! (He now lost it and he knows it)

I feel like this whole album is referring to Ben's addiction whenever it mentions love. Hollow specifically is Ben's addiction leaving him "hollow" and tearing his life apart.

To me this song appears to be about the demons Ben has battled in the past few years, specifically his drinking addiction and how it has changed his life. I had a hard time believing this song was about a girl as Ben doesn't tend to sing about that.

The first verse talks about basically drinking his pains away. -- Close your eyes -- Drive away the cloud that hides the light -- And leave the pain behind -- Cause I don’t want to fall Or let you go

The second verse seems to talks about trying to mix in real life while he is still addicted and it clearly does not work out. -- I can hear the voices of the hive -- Chemicals collide

The song ends with the chorus twice and how he accepts what his addiction has changed in his life (specifically his health) and how he will go forward without the need for that to control him, just as he has done in real life. Clean, sober, and a new father/husband. -- You are bound to break me in -- I come undone -- Don’t you drag me down again

That's what I think anyway :)

The song to me is about a relationship with a lot of conflict. The girl wants to run from all the troubles the relationship causes but the guy wants her to stay and try.

Close your eyes Drive away the cloud that hides the light And leave the pain behind Dead alive Find a way to bury all the lies Escape the pain inside ‘Cause I don’t want to fall Or let you go

To me, I feel like he's saying... let go of what's bothering you, just find a way, because I don't want you to leave me and I don't want to have to let you go

Love left me hollow I’m with you in the end Cold, crippled, and shallow Don’t leave me here again I can’t go on You are bound to break me in I come undone Don’t you drag me down again

Then I feel like he's being firm with the girl and almost treating her like property. I picture him pointing his finger and firmly telling her "don't leave me here again". He also goes to tell her she was bringing him down and he tells her basically to not drag him down or do that again.

"I come undone" ---> it's like him telling her she drives him crazy. When you really love someone you do some crazy stuff for them and when things aren't working out the way you want them to, it drives you nuts and pisses you off, hence you come undone. And he's hollow without her... but he'll always be there for her. "I’m with you in the end"