So he has this friend whose family has pushed him into this life that he doesn't really want. He has failed initially ("answer to those you have failed..."), but with a lot of effort he turns his life around ("time to clean your room and show you are able to stop beating yourself down"). Now he has this life that everyone has wanted for him ("you've arrived, a wealth of respect, a world of regard, you've always belonged...").
But the message of the song is that it doesn't have to be this way. the next part is "you have to go on, i just want you to feel the gun in your hand". The next verse talks about the struggle this person went through to get all of his success etc.
I think the most telling line is "... i'm not gonna watch you kill yourself to live". This guy is pleasing others by finding success ("living"), but killing himself in the process.
The end of the quote fits the song the most. "Before you run out and change the world, ask yourself, what do you really want?" The point is do what you want. Take control of your life. Although when I listen to this song I kinda feel like he's advocating suicide, giving his friend a gun to kill himself with.
So he has this friend whose family has pushed him into this life that he doesn't really want. He has failed initially ("answer to those you have failed..."), but with a lot of effort he turns his life around ("time to clean your room and show you are able to stop beating yourself down"). Now he has this life that everyone has wanted for him ("you've arrived, a wealth of respect, a world of regard, you've always belonged...").
But the message of the song is that it doesn't have to be this way. the next part is "you have to go on, i just want you to feel the gun in your hand". The next verse talks about the struggle this person went through to get all of his success etc. I think the most telling line is "... i'm not gonna watch you kill yourself to live". This guy is pleasing others by finding success ("living"), but killing himself in the process.
The end of the quote fits the song the most. "Before you run out and change the world, ask yourself, what do you really want?" The point is do what you want. Take control of your life. Although when I listen to this song I kinda feel like he's advocating suicide, giving his friend a gun to kill himself with.