Of course, the lyricist would know the most about the intention of the song. I really love it, myself, partly because of the intractable nature of the lyrics. But here, let me tie myself in a knot trying to analyze them:
The song's essentially about a relationship, right? All the "I"s and "yous" make that obvious. Is this relationship romantic? Probably, because of the mantra about sleeping in the second verse.
Okay, so we've got that straight. So, the first verse is pretty clear-cut: it's about the past, apparently a happy one that's been lost.
The chorus throws a screw in the workings. "I was with you when you were down"... okay, so the speaker helped the subject out of some sort of depression. That's got to be a valid interpretation, but then the next line has to be taken as part of the "down down down" line too, which means the third line goes like this "Down to see you again." So, aside from the obvious interpretation, maybe that means the speaker has gone "down" (aka become depressed), which results in his meeting the subject (who's possibly still "down")
Okay, then. The next lines are okay, but the last in the chorus is totally wacko. Who does the subject wish was "here"? It can't be the speaker, because the speaker is already "here." Someone else, then? Or maybe the subject doesn't know the speaker is "here"?
squeak. who knows?
The second verse is pretty obviously about somebody who cares but doesn't want to ("don't cry" is directed at self, and "your eyes are made of stone" is directed at the subject, then), or doesn't care but is talking to somebody else about letting go.
Of course, the lyricist would know the most about the intention of the song. I really love it, myself, partly because of the intractable nature of the lyrics. But here, let me tie myself in a knot trying to analyze them:
The song's essentially about a relationship, right? All the "I"s and "yous" make that obvious. Is this relationship romantic? Probably, because of the mantra about sleeping in the second verse. Okay, so we've got that straight. So, the first verse is pretty clear-cut: it's about the past, apparently a happy one that's been lost. The chorus throws a screw in the workings. "I was with you when you were down"... okay, so the speaker helped the subject out of some sort of depression. That's got to be a valid interpretation, but then the next line has to be taken as part of the "down down down" line too, which means the third line goes like this "Down to see you again." So, aside from the obvious interpretation, maybe that means the speaker has gone "down" (aka become depressed), which results in his meeting the subject (who's possibly still "down") Okay, then. The next lines are okay, but the last in the chorus is totally wacko. Who does the subject wish was "here"? It can't be the speaker, because the speaker is already "here." Someone else, then? Or maybe the subject doesn't know the speaker is "here"? squeak. who knows?
The second verse is pretty obviously about somebody who cares but doesn't want to ("don't cry" is directed at self, and "your eyes are made of stone" is directed at the subject, then), or doesn't care but is talking to somebody else about letting go.
Eh? That's all I can say.