I don't know that there's a definite answer to this one, but I'll give it my take. It's certainly a beautiful song.
He's found success in life moneywise, career or whatever, but it doesn't help him find happiness, and he's drinking to quell that sadness. He knows he'll never get back to where he was truly happy, before he found success, so that just adds to his sadness and drinking.
the next part is iffy, but I think that maybe she cheated on him and got pregnant. He knows it was his fault somehow that she strayed, and tells her not to be ashamed. He also knows that its completely over, it'll never be the way it was in Texarkana.
So he's back to drinking. He had something good and f'd it up chasing some money/success. But that's no substitute, so here he is, rich and lonely and drinking. He could search for another girl, but doesn't want to deal with the pain again. He's content to let the misery and alcohol swallow him whole, soul and all.
I don't know that there's a definite answer to this one, but I'll give it my take. It's certainly a beautiful song.
He's found success in life moneywise, career or whatever, but it doesn't help him find happiness, and he's drinking to quell that sadness. He knows he'll never get back to where he was truly happy, before he found success, so that just adds to his sadness and drinking.
the next part is iffy, but I think that maybe she cheated on him and got pregnant. He knows it was his fault somehow that she strayed, and tells her not to be ashamed. He also knows that its completely over, it'll never be the way it was in Texarkana.
So he's back to drinking. He had something good and f'd it up chasing some money/success. But that's no substitute, so here he is, rich and lonely and drinking. He could search for another girl, but doesn't want to deal with the pain again. He's content to let the misery and alcohol swallow him whole, soul and all.