Start Again Lyrics

Lyric discussion by Teofrostus 

Cover art for Start Again lyrics by Red

This song is clearly not about the a broken relationship with God: it doesn't make sense to interpret it that way. One would not plead to God for forgiveness in this way. The tone of the pleading is as if the singer is begging for forgiveness from someone who doesn't want to forgive them, not a loving or caring God who is always willing to take you back.

"What if I let you win? What if I make it right? What if I give it up? What if I want to try? What if you take a chance? What if I learn to love? What if, what if we start again?"

These phrases, while each by themselves could each be asking God for forgiveness, together do not give that same meaning. Instead, they give off the feeling of helplessness in a broken relationship that the singer (I will use "singer" to mean the main character that the song describes. I understand that the one singing the song may not actually have these feelings) cannot possibly return to, probably because the party in question does not want to take him back.

The song is a heartfelt plea, beginning with regret for the singer's past actions. "Gave it all away, like it wasn't enough". Following up this regret, the singer offers compensation. "What if I let you win?" and later, pleas with the promise "I can make it right, with one more try". Ultimately, the singer confesses his heartfelt pain, "I'm lost inside the pain I feel without you. I can't stop holding on", caused by his time of regret and again pleas with "Can we start again?"

This final stage of the singer's emotions is what convinces me that this song is not about God. While one might be lost without God, one would not confess that they cannot stop holding on to God. "I can't stop holding on" is a phrase which implies that one wants to stop holding on, because doing so is causing pain. One can also rule out the possibility that "holding on" refers to mistakes made by the singer, or guild caused by sins against God because of the placement of the line, after "I'm lost inside the pain I feel without you".

The song details the stages of regret that the singer feels about a human relationship gone bad. The party in question, for whatever reason, either cannot forgive the singer, or if she can, is still scarred by the event and cannot or will not take him back. All the singer wants is one last chance - one chance to make everything right - one chance to show that he is capable of love.

Song Meaning