"Time and all you gave
I was the jerk who preferred the sea
To tussling in the waves
Tugging your skirt, singing please, please, please"
He's reflecting and seeing that she actually gave him a lot of her love and time that he didn't see while they were together.
The sea could represent freedom. He preferred freedom to being safe in the waves.
Tugging your skirt seems pretty self explanatory; he was focused more on his physical needs than anything to do with her.
"But now I see love
Tracked on the floor where you walked outside
Now I see love
Looking for you in this other girl's eyes"
He now sees how much he loved her by reflecting on her leaving him.
Instead of finding love anywhere else, now, all he sees/wants is his lost girl.
"Time and all you took
Only my freedom to fuck the whole world
Promising not to look
Promising light on the sidewalk girls"
As much as he blamed her for taking away his freedom, all she really took from him was an unfulfilling string of hook ups.
He promised to remain faithful, despite his desire to stray.
"But now I see love
There in your car where I said those things
Now I see love
Tugging your skirt, singing please, please, please"
He sees that he loved her when he remembers either when he told her of some sort of infidelity or just the fact that he was finished with her.
"Time and all you gave
There on your cross that I never saw
Well beyond the waves
Dunking my head when I heard you call"
He never saw how much she gave and sacrificed for him.
When he has his freedom he avoids her calls because of guilt for doing her wrong.
"But now I see love
There in the scar where you pinched my leg
Now I see love
There on your side of my empty bed"
Maybe she pinched him when she found out that he was either leaving her or cheated on her.
He sees that she loved him /he loved her in how hurt she was by his actions.
She is gone and he is alone, and only then does he realize what he lost.
This is how I see it...
"Time and all you gave I was the jerk who preferred the sea To tussling in the waves Tugging your skirt, singing please, please, please"
He's reflecting and seeing that she actually gave him a lot of her love and time that he didn't see while they were together. The sea could represent freedom. He preferred freedom to being safe in the waves. Tugging your skirt seems pretty self explanatory; he was focused more on his physical needs than anything to do with her.
"But now I see love Tracked on the floor where you walked outside Now I see love Looking for you in this other girl's eyes"
He now sees how much he loved her by reflecting on her leaving him. Instead of finding love anywhere else, now, all he sees/wants is his lost girl.
"Time and all you took Only my freedom to fuck the whole world Promising not to look Promising light on the sidewalk girls"
As much as he blamed her for taking away his freedom, all she really took from him was an unfulfilling string of hook ups. He promised to remain faithful, despite his desire to stray.
"But now I see love There in your car where I said those things Now I see love Tugging your skirt, singing please, please, please"
He sees that he loved her when he remembers either when he told her of some sort of infidelity or just the fact that he was finished with her.
"Time and all you gave There on your cross that I never saw Well beyond the waves Dunking my head when I heard you call"
He never saw how much she gave and sacrificed for him. When he has his freedom he avoids her calls because of guilt for doing her wrong.
"But now I see love There in the scar where you pinched my leg Now I see love There on your side of my empty bed"
Maybe she pinched him when she found out that he was either leaving her or cheated on her. He sees that she loved him /he loved her in how hurt she was by his actions. She is gone and he is alone, and only then does he realize what he lost.