Straight Shot

The narrator is reminiscing on his relationship after finalizing a divorce, talking to his ex-wife. It is so easy for him to remember, he can draw a straight line to those memories since he visits them so often. "Before all the paperwork got signed" means before his divorce was finalized.

Through the "backyards and vacant lots" and "varied chambers of my heart", all the bad memories of the relationship that he chooses to pass through, he quickly arrives at the good times with a "straight shot". He feels that he is the only person who remembers these times; his friends and family don't, and even his ex seems to have forgotten that "part of town".

Inside his heart, his "true love still resides", meaning the past version of his ex. He still loves his wife, and in his eyes it was "just a short ride" away that she still loved him. The place where she still loves him is also the place where all his "dreams go to die". He is constantly thinking and dreaming about his wife and when she loved him, but whenever he does he inevitably arrives at the conclusion that they are only dreams and she doesn't love him anymore.

His "life is just around the bend" and "these broken hearts can mend", or at least that is what he it telling himself. The next two lines are beautiful: "It just takes time, time, time It takes time, time, time" Saying "just" the first time is him trying to convince himself that it will be easy and quick to move on. Then after "time" has passed, he just needs more time, and then more. After 3 times he still hasn't recovered and gotten back to his own life; he realizes it won't be easy or quick. So again he tells himself it (no "just") takes time, ... and time, ... and even more time. And he keeps telling himself this as time passes and he still hasn't healed...it will just take a little longer. But he never heals.

All the beliefs he held about how their relationship was perfect and destined to be... "Now it doesn't matter". Every other girl he tries to date "Can't hold a candle to" his ex. She is his "fair-weather best friend", meaning that he feels she deserted him as soon as things got tough. He wants her to be his best friend again, just like she is in his mind.

In reality, he is "stuck in the slow lane" of his mind, driving himself insane since he can't move on past his ex. He just stays stuck in his head "Wishing" for the past. He briefly looks at reality to say that it's "fine" now to be single. Instead of a quick straight show, he will "walk a sentimental mile" through "blue" reality, and accept the fact that their relationship was only "for a little while".

But then, he flees from reality back into his mind to "draw a straight line" "right back to the good times". And suddenly we return to the beginning of the song (almost) and the cycle repeats itself again and again inside his brain. He will need more time, time, time as long as he continues to hide from reality.

The whole song is a beautiful analogy between driving around town and visiting the memories of his relationship. Beautiful, painful, and understandable as he tries to cope with the loss of his true love.