Lyric discussion by bkabbott 

Cover art for Pleas lyrics by Widespread Panic

I think it's about the challenges some of us experience as we come of age.

The first two paragraphs are contradictratory - over ambiguous - bright - burn out - 'over work'

with

over sad, dark, depressed, no ambition.

The chorus tells us to find a balance between the light and the dark

The final stanza tells us sometimes we have a lot of shit, and we have to bust our balls (sink or swim), but that's part of life. And sometimes it brings out our best, like the quote necessity is the mother of invention.