I strongly believe that the songs in this album MUST be analized in the context of the album. The whole album is telling a story, everything is related. Therefore, I find it necessary to take a look at the previous song in the album, "Sim Sala Bim" (http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858864342/). There, we find that this "fictional" character is suddenly the same one as in Montezuma, Bedouin Dress and the rest of the album. In Sim Sala Bim, he left his wife, the woman who is singing the song.
"He was so kind, such a gentleman tied to the oceanside
Lighting a match on the suitcase's latch in the fading of night
Ruffle the fur of the collie 'neath the table
Ran out the door through the dark
Carved out his initials in the bark
Then the Earth shook, that was all that it took for the dream to break
All the loose ends would surround me again, in the shape of your face" (Sim Sala Bim)
He left her, he went around reciting incantations, etc etc etc... He might or might not have found another woman. But now, he woke up one morning, realizing that his fingers are rotting, he's lost the life he used to have. He came to look for this woman(the narrator in Sim Sala Bim), but she was with someone else. The "Wide-eyed walker" line may have something to do with being surprised, amazed... the thing is that the line will be used again in "Grown Ocean", the strongest song in the album, if you ask me. The meaning of that phrase is still to be worked out throughout the album.
This song is a key song, cause he might refer to this person in other songs ("Someone YOU'd Admire", for example).
I strongly believe that the songs in this album MUST be analized in the context of the album. The whole album is telling a story, everything is related. Therefore, I find it necessary to take a look at the previous song in the album, "Sim Sala Bim" (http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858864342/). There, we find that this "fictional" character is suddenly the same one as in Montezuma, Bedouin Dress and the rest of the album. In Sim Sala Bim, he left his wife, the woman who is singing the song.
"He was so kind, such a gentleman tied to the oceanside Lighting a match on the suitcase's latch in the fading of night Ruffle the fur of the collie 'neath the table Ran out the door through the dark Carved out his initials in the bark Then the Earth shook, that was all that it took for the dream to break All the loose ends would surround me again, in the shape of your face" (Sim Sala Bim)
He left her, he went around reciting incantations, etc etc etc... He might or might not have found another woman. But now, he woke up one morning, realizing that his fingers are rotting, he's lost the life he used to have. He came to look for this woman(the narrator in Sim Sala Bim), but she was with someone else. The "Wide-eyed walker" line may have something to do with being surprised, amazed... the thing is that the line will be used again in "Grown Ocean", the strongest song in the album, if you ask me. The meaning of that phrase is still to be worked out throughout the album. This song is a key song, cause he might refer to this person in other songs ("Someone YOU'd Admire", for example).