Lyric discussion by Dylanology 

Cover art for Mary lyrics by Noah and the Whale

I always thought this song was really sad. Charlie and Mary like each other but Charlie is unsure about how much he likes her, "You know we don't really love one another" He's not going to say he loves her until he means it. She says she loves him, and he tells her not to say it if she doesn't mean it. But she really does love him and tells him to shut up, he doesn't know what he's talking about. He might not love her, but she loves him. It's sad. I can imagine her saying "Shut your mouth you don't know what you're talking about" and almost crying because her heart is a bit broken, she thought they loved each other "Charlie and Mary for forever" but he didn't quite feel the same.

My Interpretation