I've always thought that this song was about a bad relationship, although I do like the war interpretations above too. Basically the relationship is causing both people pain and they keep hurting one another, but they keep reaching for one another and going through it all again, although they don't know why. It seems to have been going on for a thousand days (i.e. a really long time!). He says that he wants to leave and win at love (in other words find a happier relationship) but just can't let the relationship go. I think that when he says 'action and intention are two separate things' he means that each time they reach for one another again they intend things to be different but they never are. It's a vicious, never-ending circle.
I've always thought that this song was about a bad relationship, although I do like the war interpretations above too. Basically the relationship is causing both people pain and they keep hurting one another, but they keep reaching for one another and going through it all again, although they don't know why. It seems to have been going on for a thousand days (i.e. a really long time!). He says that he wants to leave and win at love (in other words find a happier relationship) but just can't let the relationship go. I think that when he says 'action and intention are two separate things' he means that each time they reach for one another again they intend things to be different but they never are. It's a vicious, never-ending circle.