I think this song is about the writer coming to terms with being gay. The first 5 lines describe her tranforming into someone new. The next few lines, ending with "got time to wander, to waste and to wind, but when it comes to you it seems like I just can't find the time" is her saying no matter how bored she is, she just doesn't want to be with her boyfriend. The line about drowning is referring to drowning in her feelings about being gay, and being in a situation where she absolutely must deal with them. The first chorus line "if I gave you my number" is about a girl, real or hypothetical, and how this simple act would change her life entirely. The second verse goes back to the boyfriend, him trying to convince her that she's not really gay. This is the last new line in the song, and him saying this ultimately gives her the courage to "learn to swim" and act on her feelings for girls.
That's my take on it, we'll never really know if it's right or wrong, but it is an interpretation I can completely relate to. It could be equally meaningful to someone else with a completely different interpretation, which is the depth and beauty of the song.
I think this song is about the writer coming to terms with being gay. The first 5 lines describe her tranforming into someone new. The next few lines, ending with "got time to wander, to waste and to wind, but when it comes to you it seems like I just can't find the time" is her saying no matter how bored she is, she just doesn't want to be with her boyfriend. The line about drowning is referring to drowning in her feelings about being gay, and being in a situation where she absolutely must deal with them. The first chorus line "if I gave you my number" is about a girl, real or hypothetical, and how this simple act would change her life entirely. The second verse goes back to the boyfriend, him trying to convince her that she's not really gay. This is the last new line in the song, and him saying this ultimately gives her the courage to "learn to swim" and act on her feelings for girls.
That's my take on it, we'll never really know if it's right or wrong, but it is an interpretation I can completely relate to. It could be equally meaningful to someone else with a completely different interpretation, which is the depth and beauty of the song.