Lyric discussion by moomoosnake 

Cover art for Bird on the Wire lyrics by Leonard Cohen

Beautiful song. Here's my take on it:

Being free is being you. By being so, you risk hurting people, but you also stnd to become who you act like - see the beggar and the pretty woman. The hurt that results from attempting to follow your heart, is not intended to cause pain to others, it's only doing what you believe to be right at the time. The bird on the wire is like the person above said, it's connected but at the same time apart - a necessity in any life, which limits but also affirms - the wire soon becomes something you are dependent upon.