I've always viewed this song as being about a relationship. It feels like singer and a woman are together but on the verge of a break-up. However, she continues to stay with him mainly because they're both just so lonely, not because they're in love. They're trying to hold back complete despair with each other's company, which he views as kind of a sick relationship. So the whole "But if you bury me..." part is saying if she breaks it off and throws him to the dogs, she won't be able to escape it either. When it says "You don't offer love as hope, lions as birds", it's talking how you don't take something as dangerous and powerful as love and use it solely to hold back despair. From this viewpoint, most of the song fits together pretty well. Finally, at the end, there's blood in her mouth because she decides to bite her tongue and keep things the way they are.
I've always viewed this song as being about a relationship. It feels like singer and a woman are together but on the verge of a break-up. However, she continues to stay with him mainly because they're both just so lonely, not because they're in love. They're trying to hold back complete despair with each other's company, which he views as kind of a sick relationship. So the whole "But if you bury me..." part is saying if she breaks it off and throws him to the dogs, she won't be able to escape it either. When it says "You don't offer love as hope, lions as birds", it's talking how you don't take something as dangerous and powerful as love and use it solely to hold back despair. From this viewpoint, most of the song fits together pretty well. Finally, at the end, there's blood in her mouth because she decides to bite her tongue and keep things the way they are.