I believe that 'Ada' is a character the narrator has lost and really misses. He can't get over her and simply wants to 'protect' her because he's convinced himself that she's vulnerable out in the world alone and without him.
"Let them all have your neck..."
"Ada" could be an ex-wife/girlfriend, little sister, or just a lost love that is beyond his control.
The warnings of "don't stay in the lake too long" and "if you think you're gonna faint go out in the hallway" hint of that Ada may struggle with some kind of mental disorder ("social anxiety" according to the band?) and the narrator feels guilty knowing he's not there to guide her through it. Unfortunately it almost seems like the narrator is not getting through to Ada, or she's not listening and he is only muttering to himself. She leaves his advice "up in the air". He can only watch Ada from a distance and hope she is doing okay and following his advice.
The line "I can hear the sound of your laugh through the wall.." and lightened climax of the song may possibly hint at the narrator's coming to terms with Ada when he hears her laughing behind closed doors. He realizes that she's doing fine without him. Unfortunetly you have to feel sympathy for the narrator because I believe he had ultimately mistaken his own vulnerability and isolation and associated it with Ada, and really all he only wanted to feel important and significant in Ada's life. A sad story, but you can only hope that both Ada and the narrator find peace on their own.
I believe that 'Ada' is a character the narrator has lost and really misses. He can't get over her and simply wants to 'protect' her because he's convinced himself that she's vulnerable out in the world alone and without him.
"Let them all have your neck..."
"Ada" could be an ex-wife/girlfriend, little sister, or just a lost love that is beyond his control.
The warnings of "don't stay in the lake too long" and "if you think you're gonna faint go out in the hallway" hint of that Ada may struggle with some kind of mental disorder ("social anxiety" according to the band?) and the narrator feels guilty knowing he's not there to guide her through it. Unfortunately it almost seems like the narrator is not getting through to Ada, or she's not listening and he is only muttering to himself. She leaves his advice "up in the air". He can only watch Ada from a distance and hope she is doing okay and following his advice.
The line "I can hear the sound of your laugh through the wall.." and lightened climax of the song may possibly hint at the narrator's coming to terms with Ada when he hears her laughing behind closed doors. He realizes that she's doing fine without him. Unfortunetly you have to feel sympathy for the narrator because I believe he had ultimately mistaken his own vulnerability and isolation and associated it with Ada, and really all he only wanted to feel important and significant in Ada's life. A sad story, but you can only hope that both Ada and the narrator find peace on their own.