Bill Wilson was one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, and this song documents the narrator's own struggles with abstinence from alcohol (and drugs). While the narrator wants to make it in the straight world and acknowledges the value of being able to do that, he is also critical of a life devoid of passion and emotion that seems to be the end result of the people around him who have managed to stay sober, to the point of referring to AA members as being "made of ice and salt" (which conjures up the image of an alcoholic drink, minus the alcohol).
Many references are made to the 12-step AA program. A "sponsor" is a fellow alcoholic who is further along in the program than a new member; the meetings where they "say the same thing twice" refer to when a new person stands up and says "my name is [name]", and the other members reply back, "hi, [name]". The "count" of time refers to how each member tells the group how long they've gone without a drink, and the "circles made of prayer" refers to the "Serenity Prayer" that is usually recited by the group at each meeting.
Bill Wilson was one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, and this song documents the narrator's own struggles with abstinence from alcohol (and drugs). While the narrator wants to make it in the straight world and acknowledges the value of being able to do that, he is also critical of a life devoid of passion and emotion that seems to be the end result of the people around him who have managed to stay sober, to the point of referring to AA members as being "made of ice and salt" (which conjures up the image of an alcoholic drink, minus the alcohol).
Many references are made to the 12-step AA program. A "sponsor" is a fellow alcoholic who is further along in the program than a new member; the meetings where they "say the same thing twice" refer to when a new person stands up and says "my name is [name]", and the other members reply back, "hi, [name]". The "count" of time refers to how each member tells the group how long they've gone without a drink, and the "circles made of prayer" refers to the "Serenity Prayer" that is usually recited by the group at each meeting.