Soft in the Center Lyrics

Lyric discussion by alittleclairvoyance 

Cover art for Soft in the Center lyrics by Hold Steady, The

I feel like this song is a response to their other song "First Night". possibly another Holly song? she was the one in the hospital in that song. however, it could be about all of their usual characters being on thin ice, thanks to their lifestyle choices. and "the city's gonna stick around" could allude to the fact that regardless of the fact that a person gets help, the things that got them hospitalized in the first place are always going to be lurking about.