What I take the meaning of the song to be is about the cycle of coming and going, and how that relates to a relationship the singer is in. The sun goes down, and we put our arguments aside; "never go to sleep angry" as they say. The moon goes down, we get to watch the sunrise together as a new day begins.
The cycle breaks pretty abruptly in the third stanza (beginning with "So, I won't keep myself around..."), though, when the singer states the limits of his willingness to be a part of the cycles of the relationship - he wants more than what their relationship currently is. He's considering whether to stay or go, and has knows he won't stay "just to keep you warm".
The following stanza (beginning with "Momma don’t put no gun in my hand...") seems like a reference to his affinity for non-violence, or an aversion to confrontation. It seems like a reference to a deeply held desire to avoid conflict - I see it almost as an apology, like, "I've been considering leaving, but I haven't said anything to you about these feelings, because I don't want to cause conflict between us. I'm sorry, but I've been like this from childhood, I've just never liked confrontation."
Then the next stanza is a more obviously defensive one (beginning with "I'm not walking away..."), where the singer is explaining that it might look like he's just walking away to avoid conflict, but in his mind he sees this as a natural next step considering what he has realized about the relationship he's in with his partner. He's just really hearing what they've been saying all along for the first time, and so going makes the most sense to him, and it feels like a "Hallelujah" to do it. He doesn't believe he's avoiding conflict by walking away, he's living into the next natural step of the cycle of their relationship, he's come, and now he's gone. Like the moon and the sun, they come up, they go down, they are gone.
The last stanza before the final chorus (beginning "And I'll miss you someday...") is his recognition that there will be times when he will wish things weren't over between them, but that's to be expected. Right now he may not have those feelings, but that's because "someday" is not "today".
For him, today, the sun is rising, and it feels like hallelujah.
TL;DR Summary
This is a beautiful break up song, where the singer expresses his experience of the end of this relationship as a part of the cycle of beginnings and endings that happen throughout our lives. Realizing this has left him singing hallelujah.
I totally agree with your interpretation. And going back to the "Momma don’t put no gun in my hand", I agree he is trying to avoid conflict, like telling her, just let me go like this don't make me say things in a harmful way.
I totally agree with your interpretation. And going back to the "Momma don’t put no gun in my hand", I agree he is trying to avoid conflict, like telling her, just let me go like this don't make me say things in a harmful way.
What I take the meaning of the song to be is about the cycle of coming and going, and how that relates to a relationship the singer is in. The sun goes down, and we put our arguments aside; "never go to sleep angry" as they say. The moon goes down, we get to watch the sunrise together as a new day begins.
The cycle breaks pretty abruptly in the third stanza (beginning with "So, I won't keep myself around..."), though, when the singer states the limits of his willingness to be a part of the cycles of the relationship - he wants more than what their relationship currently is. He's considering whether to stay or go, and has knows he won't stay "just to keep you warm".
The following stanza (beginning with "Momma don’t put no gun in my hand...") seems like a reference to his affinity for non-violence, or an aversion to confrontation. It seems like a reference to a deeply held desire to avoid conflict - I see it almost as an apology, like, "I've been considering leaving, but I haven't said anything to you about these feelings, because I don't want to cause conflict between us. I'm sorry, but I've been like this from childhood, I've just never liked confrontation."
Then the next stanza is a more obviously defensive one (beginning with "I'm not walking away..."), where the singer is explaining that it might look like he's just walking away to avoid conflict, but in his mind he sees this as a natural next step considering what he has realized about the relationship he's in with his partner. He's just really hearing what they've been saying all along for the first time, and so going makes the most sense to him, and it feels like a "Hallelujah" to do it. He doesn't believe he's avoiding conflict by walking away, he's living into the next natural step of the cycle of their relationship, he's come, and now he's gone. Like the moon and the sun, they come up, they go down, they are gone.
The last stanza before the final chorus (beginning "And I'll miss you someday...") is his recognition that there will be times when he will wish things weren't over between them, but that's to be expected. Right now he may not have those feelings, but that's because "someday" is not "today".
For him, today, the sun is rising, and it feels like hallelujah.
TL;DR Summary
This is a beautiful break up song, where the singer expresses his experience of the end of this relationship as a part of the cycle of beginnings and endings that happen throughout our lives. Realizing this has left him singing hallelujah.
You, my friend, are a genius. This is brilliant--I'm seriously impressed! It all makes sense now!
You, my friend, are a genius. This is brilliant--I'm seriously impressed! It all makes sense now!
I totally agree with your interpretation. And going back to the "Momma don’t put no gun in my hand", I agree he is trying to avoid conflict, like telling her, just let me go like this don't make me say things in a harmful way.
I totally agree with your interpretation. And going back to the "Momma don’t put no gun in my hand", I agree he is trying to avoid conflict, like telling her, just let me go like this don't make me say things in a harmful way.