It seems like most other people here think that the singer is comparing himself and his ex to Romeo and Juliet but I think that the singer is an alternative version of Romeo. I always thought of this song as rewriting or reconsidering Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as if they hadn't died but had started to eventually drift apart and fall out of love, especially Juliet. There are lines that seem like they're critiquing the relationship R+J had, like when he says 'you can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold,' cause that is how they decided that they loved each other- just seeing each other quickly at a party. I think it's more interesting to think about this as if Romeo and Juliet - who represent the epitome of love - had some fault that would make them split apart if they hadn't been faced with tragedy.
It seems like most other people here think that the singer is comparing himself and his ex to Romeo and Juliet but I think that the singer is an alternative version of Romeo. I always thought of this song as rewriting or reconsidering Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as if they hadn't died but had started to eventually drift apart and fall out of love, especially Juliet. There are lines that seem like they're critiquing the relationship R+J had, like when he says 'you can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold,' cause that is how they decided that they loved each other- just seeing each other quickly at a party. I think it's more interesting to think about this as if Romeo and Juliet - who represent the epitome of love - had some fault that would make them split apart if they hadn't been faced with tragedy.