So, I skimmed over the topics to make sure I wasn't covering anyone else's ground, but I only found a couple people that touched on my interpretation so I'll give it a go.
As far as I can tell, the song is sung in four voices. You can tell the tone of the singer. As Brandon is a Mormon, you'll find a lot of references to Mormon religion and society in the song, something I am well acquainted with as I am one and am about to leave on my mission.
The first voice: the returned missionary pleading in prayer because he doesn't know what to do with his pre-mission girlfriend (as discussed prior).
The second voice: the voice of the missionary realizing what's going on, no longer pleading, now just recognizing the facts.
The third voice: the Spirit, or voice of God, communicating with him during/after the prayer.
The fourth voice: the angry/rebellious missionary
And now a lyrical analysis:
(ahhh ahhh ahh) - sets the tone for the song as one of stress
(First Voice)
Help me out I need it - Opening of the prayer
I don't feel like loving you no more - Protagonist is trying to transition to post-mission life
I don't feel like loving you no more
Help me out I need it
I don't feel like touching her no more -Protagonist finds that while he's in the same place he was, he's no longer the same person, and is no longer attracted to his pre-mission girlfriend.
Help me out I need it I said
I don't feel like touching her no more
(Second Voice)
Well how did it happen? - This is a question about how he lost affection for his pre-mission girlfriend. The answer:
I spent two long years in a strange strange land.
Well how did it happen? - How did he spend two long years in a strange strange land? The answer:
I'd do anything just to be your man. - God asked him to do this, and he'd do anything to serve God, so he went.
(Third Voice)
You're not going anywhere without me. - At baptism, Mormons are also blessed with the Holy Ghost, essentially the constant presence of the Spirit, or God's voice.
(Second Voice) These trials don't repair the error no - This is in reference to the pain the protagonist is feeling because of his disobedience on his mission
(Third Voice) You're not telling anyone about me - After the mission, some missionaries tend to go the other way, clamshelling and not talking about their religion at all. While it's true they're not full time missionaries any longer, it is unhealthy to make such a rapid change like that. The Spirit is telling him he feels awful because he's gone from constant preaching to nothing in a day, and that he should try to ease out of it.
(Second Voice) And you shake and you bleed while I sing my song. - This is in reference to Christ's pain in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross, where he suffered for our sins. In most accounts, he is pictured as shaking and "bleeding from every pore" in the Garden of Gethsemane, and what the protagonist is saying is that while he sings, complaining about something so insignificant in comparison, Christ suffered for everything, and he really has nothing to whine about.
(Fourth Voice)
I don't feel like I don't feel like - The protagonist is tired of doing the right thing, obeying the commandments, etc. A scripture every Mormon knows, John 14: 15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments" may be referenced here. When he says I don't feel like loving you, what he means is I don't feel like obeying your commandments anymore.
I don't feel like loving you.
I don't feel like I don't feel like
I don't feel like loving you.
(First voice)
All the different places - On a mission, you serve in several different places over two years. This could be in reference to the many places he was, and all his memories crashing together as he "decompresses" from the busy life a missionary has and remembers everything.
Ring out like a shotgun in my head
All the pretty faces - after your mission, girls suddenly become available, and especially in "Happy Valley" (the Idaho-Utah-Arizona strip) there are a lot of them, and dating/marriage is pretty much the idea. Brandon grew up in Las Vegas, which is included in that area, and this song is probably about the rush of available girls there are in a place like BYU for a returned missionary.
Ring out and I just can't go to bed - This could mean either he's kept up at night thinking about it, or he's so busy with his social life that he's in school/working all day and out with friends all night, exhausting him.
(Second Voice)
Well how did it happen? - This is a different question than the first one, relating to the previous verse.
I spent two long years in a strange strange land. - Mormon girls typically won't pay attention to you unless you have your pass as an Eagle Scout and a Returned Missionary. Being an RM is like a coming of age thing, suddenly making you dating material, which would explain how it happened.
Well how did it happen?
I'd do anything just to be your man. (I'd do anything just to be your man). - This line addresses, in this case, his future wife who requires him to be an RM. He'd do anything, even go on a mission, to be her man.
(Third Voice)
You're not going anywhere without me. - Another comfort, that he's never alone, God is always with him in his trials.
(Second Voice)
These trials don't repair the error no. - Added difficulty doesn't help him, he's saying, but if things got easier the more wrong we did, we'd have no incentive to continue doing right.
(Third Voice)
You're not telling anyone about me. - Same as before.
(Second Voice)
And you shake and you bleed while I sing my song.
(Second Voice)
I don't feel like touching you - This is in reference to touching Christ, which in the bible is associated with healing. Essentially, he doesn't want to come back- he wants to stay miserable, a problem most people caught up in a vicious cycle have.
I don't feel like touching you
I don't feel like touching you
I don't feel like touching you
You can't tell anyone about me - The Spirit is known to act on people around those having trouble when they can't help themselves. Basically, God hints to someone that their friend needs assistance with something, and they help them get back on their feet. He's so depressed and miserable he's telling God not even to do this.
(Fourth Voice)
You're not going anywhere - He's mocking what God has said to comfort him, refusing help, in the voice of his body.
withouuuuuuuuuuuut me.
(help me out I need it help me out I need it) - here the background singers represent his spirit, calling for help, while his body refuses it.
You can't tell anyone about me. (help me out I need it)
(First Voice)
Help me out I need it! - here his spirit has broken through his body and is shouting for help/repentance again.
(Second Voice)
I don't feel like I don't feel like - Here he's saying what he said before. Whether or not he feels like Loving God is separate from whether or not he will. He may just be admitting that this is a really difficult time for him, but that he'll do his best to keep the commandments. Cliffhanger :P
I don't feel like loving you.
I don't feel like I don't feel like
I don't feel like loving you.
Overview
While the song starts off as a shallow overview of what he's going to do with his girl problems, eventually it becomes a process of self-realization and his relationship with God. Not much else to say here- it's all in the text, but hope you enjoyed. Don't be afraid to offend me just because I'm Mormon with your replies- I'm all ears.
Thanks for reading!
So, I skimmed over the topics to make sure I wasn't covering anyone else's ground, but I only found a couple people that touched on my interpretation so I'll give it a go. As far as I can tell, the song is sung in four voices. You can tell the tone of the singer. As Brandon is a Mormon, you'll find a lot of references to Mormon religion and society in the song, something I am well acquainted with as I am one and am about to leave on my mission.
The first voice: the returned missionary pleading in prayer because he doesn't know what to do with his pre-mission girlfriend (as discussed prior).
The second voice: the voice of the missionary realizing what's going on, no longer pleading, now just recognizing the facts.
The third voice: the Spirit, or voice of God, communicating with him during/after the prayer.
The fourth voice: the angry/rebellious missionary
And now a lyrical analysis:
(ahhh ahhh ahh) - sets the tone for the song as one of stress
(First Voice) Help me out I need it - Opening of the prayer I don't feel like loving you no more - Protagonist is trying to transition to post-mission life I don't feel like loving you no more
Help me out I need it I don't feel like touching her no more -Protagonist finds that while he's in the same place he was, he's no longer the same person, and is no longer attracted to his pre-mission girlfriend. Help me out I need it I said I don't feel like touching her no more
(Second Voice) Well how did it happen? - This is a question about how he lost affection for his pre-mission girlfriend. The answer: I spent two long years in a strange strange land. Well how did it happen? - How did he spend two long years in a strange strange land? The answer: I'd do anything just to be your man. - God asked him to do this, and he'd do anything to serve God, so he went.
(Third Voice) You're not going anywhere without me. - At baptism, Mormons are also blessed with the Holy Ghost, essentially the constant presence of the Spirit, or God's voice. (Second Voice) These trials don't repair the error no - This is in reference to the pain the protagonist is feeling because of his disobedience on his mission (Third Voice) You're not telling anyone about me - After the mission, some missionaries tend to go the other way, clamshelling and not talking about their religion at all. While it's true they're not full time missionaries any longer, it is unhealthy to make such a rapid change like that. The Spirit is telling him he feels awful because he's gone from constant preaching to nothing in a day, and that he should try to ease out of it. (Second Voice) And you shake and you bleed while I sing my song. - This is in reference to Christ's pain in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross, where he suffered for our sins. In most accounts, he is pictured as shaking and "bleeding from every pore" in the Garden of Gethsemane, and what the protagonist is saying is that while he sings, complaining about something so insignificant in comparison, Christ suffered for everything, and he really has nothing to whine about.
(Fourth Voice) I don't feel like I don't feel like - The protagonist is tired of doing the right thing, obeying the commandments, etc. A scripture every Mormon knows, John 14: 15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments" may be referenced here. When he says I don't feel like loving you, what he means is I don't feel like obeying your commandments anymore. I don't feel like loving you. I don't feel like I don't feel like I don't feel like loving you.
(First voice) All the different places - On a mission, you serve in several different places over two years. This could be in reference to the many places he was, and all his memories crashing together as he "decompresses" from the busy life a missionary has and remembers everything. Ring out like a shotgun in my head All the pretty faces - after your mission, girls suddenly become available, and especially in "Happy Valley" (the Idaho-Utah-Arizona strip) there are a lot of them, and dating/marriage is pretty much the idea. Brandon grew up in Las Vegas, which is included in that area, and this song is probably about the rush of available girls there are in a place like BYU for a returned missionary. Ring out and I just can't go to bed - This could mean either he's kept up at night thinking about it, or he's so busy with his social life that he's in school/working all day and out with friends all night, exhausting him.
(Second Voice) Well how did it happen? - This is a different question than the first one, relating to the previous verse. I spent two long years in a strange strange land. - Mormon girls typically won't pay attention to you unless you have your pass as an Eagle Scout and a Returned Missionary. Being an RM is like a coming of age thing, suddenly making you dating material, which would explain how it happened. Well how did it happen? I'd do anything just to be your man. (I'd do anything just to be your man). - This line addresses, in this case, his future wife who requires him to be an RM. He'd do anything, even go on a mission, to be her man.
(Third Voice) You're not going anywhere without me. - Another comfort, that he's never alone, God is always with him in his trials. (Second Voice) These trials don't repair the error no. - Added difficulty doesn't help him, he's saying, but if things got easier the more wrong we did, we'd have no incentive to continue doing right. (Third Voice) You're not telling anyone about me. - Same as before. (Second Voice) And you shake and you bleed while I sing my song.
(Second Voice) I don't feel like touching you - This is in reference to touching Christ, which in the bible is associated with healing. Essentially, he doesn't want to come back- he wants to stay miserable, a problem most people caught up in a vicious cycle have. I don't feel like touching you I don't feel like touching you I don't feel like touching you You can't tell anyone about me - The Spirit is known to act on people around those having trouble when they can't help themselves. Basically, God hints to someone that their friend needs assistance with something, and they help them get back on their feet. He's so depressed and miserable he's telling God not even to do this.
(Fourth Voice) You're not going anywhere - He's mocking what God has said to comfort him, refusing help, in the voice of his body. withouuuuuuuuuuuut me. (help me out I need it help me out I need it) - here the background singers represent his spirit, calling for help, while his body refuses it. You can't tell anyone about me. (help me out I need it) (First Voice) Help me out I need it! - here his spirit has broken through his body and is shouting for help/repentance again.
(Second Voice) I don't feel like I don't feel like - Here he's saying what he said before. Whether or not he feels like Loving God is separate from whether or not he will. He may just be admitting that this is a really difficult time for him, but that he'll do his best to keep the commandments. Cliffhanger :P I don't feel like loving you. I don't feel like I don't feel like I don't feel like loving you.
Overview While the song starts off as a shallow overview of what he's going to do with his girl problems, eventually it becomes a process of self-realization and his relationship with God. Not much else to say here- it's all in the text, but hope you enjoyed. Don't be afraid to offend me just because I'm Mormon with your replies- I'm all ears. Thanks for reading!