Lyric discussion by reamer 

Never has a song fit with circumstances in my life as this one does. It's a pretty personal interpretation, but I like to think it's not far off from what geographer intended.

"You call me all the right words but the right words sound so wrong"

It starts when you feel something is amiss with your relationship. In my case, the girl had already broken up with me, so that's a no brainer. But more importantly, her reasons for doing so didn't sound right. You try to ignore it at first, because you're not sure you even want to know the truth.

"you say that I am changing I guess I will before too long"

You're not quite the person she initially had the impression you would be. In my case, it started as an LDR, and I eventually moved across the country to be with her. The reality is a disappointment... But I know I never changed, I was always the same person. But to her, the me on the phone and online conversations just wasn't the same. I never changed, but I guess I'll have to if I don't want this to happen again.

"will you give me a way out or a past to live down? Either way it couldn't be worse than it is now"

I have social anxiety, which seems to be as unattractive to women as morbid obesity is to a man. I had pretty much given up on the possibility of ever being loved before I met her. She was my way out of that dismal situation. But suddenly she wasn't anymore. I was right back where I started, facing down my past and seeing it stretch out into the future as well. I naively believed I might get her back someday, so I held onto the possibility of a way out, but I knew deep down that even if she did, it wouldn't last. It was already clear I wasn't and couldn't be who she wanted, so in the end I'm destined to be alone. Couldn't be worse.

"I'm watching while a wild dog makes ripples round and round"

I honestly don't really know what this line is getting at... But I guess you could say I felt like a.drowning dog, thrashing about, unable to accept what was happening to me. I was dissociated as can happen during trauma, so it was actually like I was watching this happen to myself rather than experiencing it first hand.

"was every single whisper a life that we should know by now or is it just a sound"

We shared our deepest secrets with each other, promised to always stay together... Shouldn't we be closer than ever before? But no, all the promises and intimacy were just meaningless noise.

"something keeps a river from sinking to the ground. Was I ever any different?

Fits with me telling he I'll be okay. Been dealing with loneliness all my life. It won't kill me now.

"white lies in the night If I could be yours and you could be mine As long as it rhymes It's all that I'll ever need"

I put up with lie after lie from this girl because it was better than the alternative of being alone. Our love seemed so tender and genuine, but in the end it was mostly a matter of convenience. She was utterly alone when I met her, too. Our love was based on desperate need more than a genuine connection. It didn't matter at the beginning. as long as there's someone to fill the space, that's all I'll ever need. Just as plenty of meaningless garbage lyrics end up in popular music... Doesn't matter if they actually mean aything as long as they rhyme and sound nice.

"we keep what we hide"

I had been able to deduce that she almost certainly cheated on my during the relationship, but she continues to deny it to this day - I think even to herself as she can't accept the idea that she's the kind of person who would do such a thing. Similarly, she never seems to feel remorse and admit to any of her past lies until I confront her with conclusive evidence of the truth.

"you told such simple lies"

Lying was simple and apparently guilt-free for her. It was so easy. and most of them were small lies; inconsequential. But they all add up to something much more significant.

"now that we are free Verona won't you take me out?"

We no longer have obligations to each other, but can't we still be friends?

"drive me to the city where every building shouts"

I have no clue what the band meant by this, but for me... I moved from a small town to Los Angeles to be with her. It was an intense and exhilerating place to be, and I was always excited to go out and have fun with her there... Even after becoming just friends.

"I want to hear from people I want to leave the windows down"

Before I had forgiven her, I was completely alone. Sitting in my apartment all day. Rotting. I became desperate to do something unusual in my life; get out of my shell. Talk to new people. Leave the windows down so as to stop blocking all my opportunities to meet new people.

"I never will believe you you should know why by now"

We've set aside our differences, but unfortunately there's no way I will ever be able to fully trust her again. Lying is part of who she is, and it's unfortunate, but this fact has helped me to accept no longer being with her more than any other. Honesty is very important to me, and I'll never be truly happy with someone who doesn't value it as much as I the biggest lie, as I hinted at earlier, was her reason for breaking up. She told me she just wasn't interested in dating... Then that she was a lesbian. As in the beginning of the song, she said the things that made the situation easier to accept... But I sensed they weren't true. And with enough digging and prying, I discovered the real, painful truths: I simply wasn't good enough, and she had taken an interest in another man.

"It is the simplest things we want but we can never see enough"

Everyone really just wants to be loved more than anything else. But in her case, she needed more of it; needed it to feel fresh and new and exciting.

The song has a similar meaning to me as it does to you. I had a similar experience. The depth of emotion that you showed when interpreting this song was as beautiful as the song itself. As someone who is one of your kind, I'd like to thank you for your writing. If you can show that creative side to a girl, you won't be lonely anymore.

Every few months, I come back to this website just to read your comment. It really put a new perspective on the song for me. I recently got out of a relationship with a girl, and it went down pretty much the same way. Before it happened, I listened to this song because it sounded good, not because it had any real meaning to me. Now it does, and I guess it helps knowing that someone else went through something kind of similar.

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