Lyric discussion by Image In Nation 

Cover art for A Better Place, A Better Time lyrics by Streetlight Manifesto

I don't think it's that, annameech. Have you ever tried to stop someone from trying to kill themselves? I think what he's saying is that, someone can try and influence a person's decision about suicide, but you can't MAKE UP THEIR MIND for them.

Also, I don't think this is just A story about a man who loves a girl and is trying to stop her from killing herself. I think that it's all one huge metaphor about the people who care about those who want to commit suicide, and about as well as a message to the people who would want to kill themselves. He's not PHYSICALLY going to buy her a ticket; that would be foolish. It's about wanting to somehow take the pain from that person and helping them escape for a while so that they can be happy. Annie is just a stand-in for all those hopeless people (as in, they are void of hope, not that we should stop hoping for them).

Anyways, this song has kept me from killing myself several times, and I can relate to it. I know what it's like to be so fed up with life, to just want to throw yourself off a building, to take the gun to your head. I know what it's like to be in the position where someone you love wants to kill himself and you have to do everything you can, even pin them down so they can't hurt themselves.

and i'll lead you home if you let me she said "forget me" but i can't

These lines, also, don't necessarily mean that "Annie" died, but that when people love a wretch, no matter how many times that person will tell you to go away and leave them alone to die, you just can't forget about them and you can't let them die. You need to fight with everything you can to help keep them alive and don't forget them. That's what this line means to me.