This song is about a relationship surrounded in lies.
The singer (whether the persona here is Mangum's himself or adopted) has lied, and he feels shameful about it. A 'silver tongue' is traditionally a metaphor for someone who is good at lying - as is all the other references to silver for the same of conciseness.
However, his girlfriend discovered his lie (possibly become angry - 'your teeth... for tearing'), and now he feels ashamed and 'swollen and small'. He doesn't want to talk again, because to talk again might be to lie.
There is also much mistrust (All I perceive, is wasted and broken,) as in he does not see anything as truthful anymore.
I don't know who lied first, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that the relationship was intertwined with, and possibly even based on, a lie, and the singer doesn't want to get committed again just to be found out.
This song is about a relationship surrounded in lies. The singer (whether the persona here is Mangum's himself or adopted) has lied, and he feels shameful about it. A 'silver tongue' is traditionally a metaphor for someone who is good at lying - as is all the other references to silver for the same of conciseness. However, his girlfriend discovered his lie (possibly become angry - 'your teeth... for tearing'), and now he feels ashamed and 'swollen and small'. He doesn't want to talk again, because to talk again might be to lie. There is also much mistrust (All I perceive, is wasted and broken,) as in he does not see anything as truthful anymore. I don't know who lied first, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that the relationship was intertwined with, and possibly even based on, a lie, and the singer doesn't want to get committed again just to be found out.