I think this song is about teenage boys and girls get caught up in the dating game, how their perspectives differ (i.e., boys want sex, girls want love), and how the emotional impacts can last into adulthood.
I think that both verses describe the same cycle. The first verse is from the boys' point of view, and the second verse is from the girls' point of view. If we compare the respective lines from each verse, they seem to go together.
"Lights out, boys sleepwalking on the weekend" and "Nights out, girls keep walking on the East End"
I think "weekend" and "nights out" refer to the dating scene. The boys are up to no good ("lights out" - doing what they do under cover of darkness) and "sleepwalking" suggests there is no feeling to what they are doing; they are just going through the motions of their game. For the second verse, I think the "East End" refers to the pool of sleazy boys who only want to use the girls, so by continually choosing to date these types of boys, the girls "keep walking on the East End".
"Black out, two nights killing off a best friend" and "White out, two lights shining on a dead end"
The boys fail to notice or care ("black out") that their brief flings (or subsequent rejections of the girls) will destroy their friendships with the girls they are using. The boys catch the girls off guard ("white out") by abruptly leaving, and it then becomes clear ("lights shining") to the girls that they have been used and that the relationship is over ("dead end"). This is symbolized by a car stopping at an unexpected dead end. Additionally, the contrast of "black out" and "white out" further suggest that the boys feel nothing while the girls are overwhelmed with emotion.
"Fall out like soldiers walking off the deep end" and "Drawn out like circles trailing off the pavement"
The boys simply leave ("fall out") and move on to the next conquest ("like soldiers"), emotionally unscathed. "Off the deep end" could also suggest a sudden change in personality (warm and loving to cold and uncaring). The boys move on quickly ("fall out") while the girls spend a long time ("drawn out") trying to get over it. I think "circles trailing off the pavement" suggests that the cycles (for both boys and girls) extend beyond childhood into adulthood.
"Hands out, don't stop marching til the hearts rend" and "Stand out, don't stop marching til the hearts mend"
The boys move on and continue with their "conquests", breaking more girls' hearts along the way. The girls continue trying to find true love (possibly in hopes that it will undo the pain they have incurred).
I think the lead-in to the chorus says that as men and women grow up, men continue to exploit women's dire for love ("They never forget the lines that they say"). However, women recall their past experiences become weary of this ("We'll never forget the words that they'd say").
The chorus is what the boys tell the girls to win them over. To the boys, this is just a meaningless script. To this girls, this is a promise that they will get married and run away together.
I think this song is about teenage boys and girls get caught up in the dating game, how their perspectives differ (i.e., boys want sex, girls want love), and how the emotional impacts can last into adulthood.
I think that both verses describe the same cycle. The first verse is from the boys' point of view, and the second verse is from the girls' point of view. If we compare the respective lines from each verse, they seem to go together.
"Lights out, boys sleepwalking on the weekend" and "Nights out, girls keep walking on the East End"
I think "weekend" and "nights out" refer to the dating scene. The boys are up to no good ("lights out" - doing what they do under cover of darkness) and "sleepwalking" suggests there is no feeling to what they are doing; they are just going through the motions of their game. For the second verse, I think the "East End" refers to the pool of sleazy boys who only want to use the girls, so by continually choosing to date these types of boys, the girls "keep walking on the East End".
"Black out, two nights killing off a best friend" and "White out, two lights shining on a dead end"
The boys fail to notice or care ("black out") that their brief flings (or subsequent rejections of the girls) will destroy their friendships with the girls they are using. The boys catch the girls off guard ("white out") by abruptly leaving, and it then becomes clear ("lights shining") to the girls that they have been used and that the relationship is over ("dead end"). This is symbolized by a car stopping at an unexpected dead end. Additionally, the contrast of "black out" and "white out" further suggest that the boys feel nothing while the girls are overwhelmed with emotion.
"Fall out like soldiers walking off the deep end" and "Drawn out like circles trailing off the pavement"
The boys simply leave ("fall out") and move on to the next conquest ("like soldiers"), emotionally unscathed. "Off the deep end" could also suggest a sudden change in personality (warm and loving to cold and uncaring). The boys move on quickly ("fall out") while the girls spend a long time ("drawn out") trying to get over it. I think "circles trailing off the pavement" suggests that the cycles (for both boys and girls) extend beyond childhood into adulthood.
"Hands out, don't stop marching til the hearts rend" and "Stand out, don't stop marching til the hearts mend"
The boys move on and continue with their "conquests", breaking more girls' hearts along the way. The girls continue trying to find true love (possibly in hopes that it will undo the pain they have incurred).
I think the lead-in to the chorus says that as men and women grow up, men continue to exploit women's dire for love ("They never forget the lines that they say"). However, women recall their past experiences become weary of this ("We'll never forget the words that they'd say").
The chorus is what the boys tell the girls to win them over. To the boys, this is just a meaningless script. To this girls, this is a promise that they will get married and run away together.