I think this song is asking 'why live a safe but lonely and disconnected life?' It's about being too afraid to truly live your life, so you spend your time making plans instead of actually doing what makes you happy. Also feeling too anxious to connect with people, so you keep them at a safe distance. "Why burn poor and lonely? Under a bowl Or under a lamp shade" basically means "Why hide your true self because you're afraid of people who don't approve?" The point is that you don't have to be alone and afraid.
It's possible to be happy without giving in to the pressure of society to find a wife, have kids, be a productive worker bee and mindless consumer and everything else the media tells us we need to be happy. It seems like Aaron is trying to convince someone to free themselves from the bullshit pressures that are making them unhappy, and asking them to just 'burn' (live) free and open with him. Torches together, hand in hand.
I think this song is asking 'why live a safe but lonely and disconnected life?' It's about being too afraid to truly live your life, so you spend your time making plans instead of actually doing what makes you happy. Also feeling too anxious to connect with people, so you keep them at a safe distance. "Why burn poor and lonely? Under a bowl Or under a lamp shade" basically means "Why hide your true self because you're afraid of people who don't approve?" The point is that you don't have to be alone and afraid.
It's possible to be happy without giving in to the pressure of society to find a wife, have kids, be a productive worker bee and mindless consumer and everything else the media tells us we need to be happy. It seems like Aaron is trying to convince someone to free themselves from the bullshit pressures that are making them unhappy, and asking them to just 'burn' (live) free and open with him. Torches together, hand in hand.