"You run away, You could turn and stay, But you run away from me.
I tried to be your brother, You cried and ran for cover"
Very personal, not related to the band. Not us, but me. This wasn't him simply wanting to be a bandmate and work through professionally, but instead this is him upset that Steven didn't give him the chance to help him out like a friend (or brother) of 20+ years.
"I made a mess, who doesn’t, I did my best but it wasn’t enough."
Sometimes when we try to be that friend, or try to intervene with someone who's screwing up their lives, that makes the mess worse. Maybe it only started as the drug addiction, and the potential circus around the arrest. Maybe there was an overreaction from Ed...these guys have been friends for so long, people grate on you after awhile. I'm guessing Ed tried to help, and it just backfired.
"I’ll give you something you can cry about, One thing you should try it out
Hold a mirror shoulder high, When you’re older look you in the eye"
Paraphrase of the altercation at the crux of this. Mirror probably a reference to his cocaine use.
"I tried but you tried harder"
A reference to Ed's own addiction? Maybe they started using together, but Steven's use went out of control.
"I lied but you lied smarter"
The song carries this sentiment of "you should have been a bigger man about this." Maybe Ed was confronted about his problems by his family (or the band), and he worked hard to right his own ship. But Steven didn't, he just hid his addiction, and when he was called out, he took off.
"You made me guess who was it. I did my best but it wasn’t enough."
I gather Steven was a different person when he was using. Ed was sick of going to his bus or room or whatever and wondering if he was going to find him sober or not.
"But that’s not something to cry about (crrryyyy!), It’s not something to lie about"
Guessing Ed was sick of the tears in the end. Basically telling Steven to man up and accept his choice of a lifestyle over the band (and Ed's friendship). At least from my perspective, it seems like Steven has run from responsibility over the years, and I guess this is Ed asking Steven to grow up.
"You run away, You could turn and stay, But you run away from me. I tried to be your brother, You cried and ran for cover"
Very personal, not related to the band. Not us, but me. This wasn't him simply wanting to be a bandmate and work through professionally, but instead this is him upset that Steven didn't give him the chance to help him out like a friend (or brother) of 20+ years.
"I made a mess, who doesn’t, I did my best but it wasn’t enough."
Sometimes when we try to be that friend, or try to intervene with someone who's screwing up their lives, that makes the mess worse. Maybe it only started as the drug addiction, and the potential circus around the arrest. Maybe there was an overreaction from Ed...these guys have been friends for so long, people grate on you after awhile. I'm guessing Ed tried to help, and it just backfired.
"I’ll give you something you can cry about, One thing you should try it out Hold a mirror shoulder high, When you’re older look you in the eye"
Paraphrase of the altercation at the crux of this. Mirror probably a reference to his cocaine use.
"I tried but you tried harder"
A reference to Ed's own addiction? Maybe they started using together, but Steven's use went out of control.
"I lied but you lied smarter"
The song carries this sentiment of "you should have been a bigger man about this." Maybe Ed was confronted about his problems by his family (or the band), and he worked hard to right his own ship. But Steven didn't, he just hid his addiction, and when he was called out, he took off.
"You made me guess who was it. I did my best but it wasn’t enough."
I gather Steven was a different person when he was using. Ed was sick of going to his bus or room or whatever and wondering if he was going to find him sober or not.
"But that’s not something to cry about (crrryyyy!), It’s not something to lie about"
Guessing Ed was sick of the tears in the end. Basically telling Steven to man up and accept his choice of a lifestyle over the band (and Ed's friendship). At least from my perspective, it seems like Steven has run from responsibility over the years, and I guess this is Ed asking Steven to grow up.