Lyric discussion by mrgrimm 

Cover art for 1 John 4:16 lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

hm. "In the holding tank I built for myself ..."

if the narrator is a prisoner, it's a self-imposed sentence.

like half his songs, i have to think this is about addiction. the narrator is in rehab, last in line for his pills. the "you" seems to be an actual person, not god/love.