I think it's about someone's father dying. Hence the term "wake". Also, a girlfriend is lost.
"so far from me stands a man known as disease. he's shaking all the hands of the people that he meets"
ah, yes. The first part of the song - yet it means a lot and sets the mood. the setting's at a funeral and the 'man' is the preacher-minister-dude. he is known as 'disease' because he's always around when there's death. He tries to comfort by shaking hands but it doesn't shake off the fact that there's death around them.
"since you left she's a mess. she regrets all the things that she could have said but... we fall asleep, never think about anything. we wake to the sound of a phone as it hits the ground"
his father dead, the mum's a grieving mess. The sound of the phone dropping is probably from the hospital saying that his father had died and the shock of it.
"and oh at the wake, at the wake, i will turn to see a face. just a face, just a face, so surrounded by a name. what a name, what a name, and you never want to change. what you gave, what you gave, never want to let go"
is the sole simplicity of the pain of someone very close to you dying and the deadness in you at the funeral - looking at everyone's face and thinking it's just a face that corresponds with a name.
"i want to live like i did before all this hit. to sleep in your arms, to think, we'll never fall apart"
now this part is about a girl that he also lost about the same time. It's like two heartbreaks in one, ya'know?
"know its such a drag to live your life for a heart attack. to never get a second chance to say goodbye, so say goodbye ill never get to try"
heart attack = death. Maybe it was unexpected, 'cause he never got a second chance to say goodbye [to the girl and his father]
"now ive been losing everything. you just dont see me anymore. ill say goodbye"
he's been losing everything that he thought would be there for him. he feels since they're gone, that no one will be there anymore. He wants to say goodbye to them so the pain of losing them will go away.
Okay, yeah. Just wanted to put my own two-cent analysis in.
I think it's about someone's father dying. Hence the term "wake". Also, a girlfriend is lost.
"so far from me stands a man known as disease. he's shaking all the hands of the people that he meets"
"since you left she's a mess. she regrets all the things that she could have said but... we fall asleep, never think about anything. we wake to the sound of a phone as it hits the ground"
"and oh at the wake, at the wake, i will turn to see a face. just a face, just a face, so surrounded by a name. what a name, what a name, and you never want to change. what you gave, what you gave, never want to let go"
"i want to live like i did before all this hit. to sleep in your arms, to think, we'll never fall apart"
"know its such a drag to live your life for a heart attack. to never get a second chance to say goodbye, so say goodbye ill never get to try"
"now ive been losing everything. you just dont see me anymore. ill say goodbye"
Okay, yeah. Just wanted to put my own two-cent analysis in.
btw, I love this song to bits.
xx