It's definitely reasonable to say that it's a "break up song"/"get=over-you" song.
But, to me, it's more about the passing of a parent. "Tear down the house I grew up in", I think has a double meaning in this context. It's that your parent(s) passed away, and the house you grew up in doesn't feel like it's really the same place, it's "torn down", so to speak. Or, literally wanting to tear down the house you grew up in, simply because you might not want to have to look at your old, now empty, home ever again.
"Carry the pictures of me and you. I have no memory of who I once was, and I don't remember your name." Seems to be clinging to the good times instead of some of the actual memories. Almost saying, 'I don't know who we were, but I know we were happy'. I called my parents by their first names, but now that my father is dead, I always refer to him as dad. And when the day comes that I lose my mother, I'll never call her Kathy again, always mom.
"I'm talking to these children and I'm keeping it clean" seems like a message to kids, to value your parents while you've got them, y'know?
There's some other little things, I think. Like that the singer keeps referring to his childhood, which seems a little wierd if it's a break up song. I don't know if the Avett brothers' parents are passed or not, but this was just how I received the song.
It's definitely reasonable to say that it's a "break up song"/"get=over-you" song.
But, to me, it's more about the passing of a parent. "Tear down the house I grew up in", I think has a double meaning in this context. It's that your parent(s) passed away, and the house you grew up in doesn't feel like it's really the same place, it's "torn down", so to speak. Or, literally wanting to tear down the house you grew up in, simply because you might not want to have to look at your old, now empty, home ever again.
"Carry the pictures of me and you. I have no memory of who I once was, and I don't remember your name." Seems to be clinging to the good times instead of some of the actual memories. Almost saying, 'I don't know who we were, but I know we were happy'. I called my parents by their first names, but now that my father is dead, I always refer to him as dad. And when the day comes that I lose my mother, I'll never call her Kathy again, always mom.
"I'm talking to these children and I'm keeping it clean" seems like a message to kids, to value your parents while you've got them, y'know?
There's some other little things, I think. Like that the singer keeps referring to his childhood, which seems a little wierd if it's a break up song. I don't know if the Avett brothers' parents are passed or not, but this was just how I received the song.