Personally, I always viewed this song as a break-up/ending of relationship song, where the narrator is looking back on everything that happened. Kind of a hindsight is 20/20 situation.
The lyrics hint that the relationship was doomed from the start, and everyone knew but never did anything about it.
'It was often talked about; it was often raised
But nothing was ever done about it'
When I hear those lines, I imagine friends and family talking behind a couples' back, saying how it won't work out or how the couple is always fighting. But, despite always talking about it, no one really does anything.
"It was oversimplified; it was under-thought
And nothing was ever done to stop it
Everything was fortified by all the lies we bought
And nothing was ever done to stop it"
This makes it sound like excuses were made for the relationship. Like, when people say 'Oh, we're just going through some rough times' or 'We've just been under a lot of stress lately' rather than admitting that something deeper is going wrong. They "oversimply" the problem.
The narrator also reflects on all the things he did and said.
"Shall I take back everything I've ever said
And live my whole life in silence instead?"
To me, this line seems to say 'I can make this relationship work. All it will cost me is my voice and opinion on everything, even if I'm right.' Something which is out of the question, of course.
And finally, my favorite line(s) of the song.
"Maybe you're right
Maybe you're right
Maybe you're right
But I don't think so"
These lines are so simple, but they seem to hold so much meaning in them. The narrator is tired of the fighting, and fed up with the whole ruined relationship, and is finally giving up. It's like when you're in a heated argument with someone, and you get so frustrated, you finally throw your hands up and yell 'Fine! Whatever!' The narrator is doing the same thing. He no longer has the will to fight, but at the same time, he's stubborn and won't admit he's wrong.
So...that's just how I see it. I don't really see it as being political or about the war, but I can see whoson1st0's view on it being about an abusive relationship. Never thought of it from that angle before. :3
Personally, I always viewed this song as a break-up/ending of relationship song, where the narrator is looking back on everything that happened. Kind of a hindsight is 20/20 situation. The lyrics hint that the relationship was doomed from the start, and everyone knew but never did anything about it. 'It was often talked about; it was often raised But nothing was ever done about it' When I hear those lines, I imagine friends and family talking behind a couples' back, saying how it won't work out or how the couple is always fighting. But, despite always talking about it, no one really does anything. "It was oversimplified; it was under-thought And nothing was ever done to stop it Everything was fortified by all the lies we bought And nothing was ever done to stop it" This makes it sound like excuses were made for the relationship. Like, when people say 'Oh, we're just going through some rough times' or 'We've just been under a lot of stress lately' rather than admitting that something deeper is going wrong. They "oversimply" the problem. The narrator also reflects on all the things he did and said. "Shall I take back everything I've ever said And live my whole life in silence instead?" To me, this line seems to say 'I can make this relationship work. All it will cost me is my voice and opinion on everything, even if I'm right.' Something which is out of the question, of course. And finally, my favorite line(s) of the song. "Maybe you're right Maybe you're right Maybe you're right But I don't think so" These lines are so simple, but they seem to hold so much meaning in them. The narrator is tired of the fighting, and fed up with the whole ruined relationship, and is finally giving up. It's like when you're in a heated argument with someone, and you get so frustrated, you finally throw your hands up and yell 'Fine! Whatever!' The narrator is doing the same thing. He no longer has the will to fight, but at the same time, he's stubborn and won't admit he's wrong. So...that's just how I see it. I don't really see it as being political or about the war, but I can see whoson1st0's view on it being about an abusive relationship. Never thought of it from that angle before. :3