"Fade out like a photograph
just a memory to forget"
--This shows that after the breakup the singer has come to terms with what has happened, he isn't being angsty or wistful about the girl, he just wants to move on and get on with his life.
"You burn black like a cigarette
I'll discard you when I'm done"
--To me this shows that the singer is well and truly over everything that happened, describing them as a cigarette interests me, many smokers i know find cigarettes disgusting and they hate the fact that they need them to get through the day. This shows the disdain Shaun has for the other party involved.
"You break down when you need the rest
What a selfish way to drown
Then lay down with the thief you met
and enjoy the pride you've won"
--This verse really resonates with me and my recent situation, my girlfriend of four years recently left me for a chap she met at a houseshare at university. However we were inseparably close friends and i eventually ended up having to deal with the emotional fallout of our own breakup without any regard for my own feelings (What a selfish way to drown). The second half of this verse then goes on to show that once the wounds have healed a bit the guilty party is more than happy to hop into bed with the man she left you for. This is a perfect description of what happened to me those months ago.
"So let loose those tears, darling
'cause I'll turn my back"
--And so 11 months down the road their perfect relationship began to show signs of wearing thin and breaking down, lo and behold I start receiving texts and calls calling for my emotional support in these troubled times. The verse implies (quite rightly i think) that the protagonist is more than happy for the guilty party to be upset and is equally happy to neglect her in her time of need, as a sort of vengeance.
"So tell me the story
How you lose this all I'm guessin'
But don't tell me you're sorry
I'm through with it all
And i won't be back again"
--Again, exactly what has recently happened with me. Personally I rather enjoyed hearing about how my ex's relationship crumbled through her fingers as she tried her hardest to keep it alive. I took a sort of pleasure in the fact that she repeatedly told me she was sorry for what she did to me, desperate to rekindle an emotional connection to keep her sane. But just like the final two lines in this verse i denied this request, leaving her to flounder.
"I'm burnt out on your etiquette
How you caponize the sun
Then lie down with another one
As you canonize yourself"
--This seems to me that Shaun can see through the facade of his ex (etiquette) while her behaviour remains unchanged at its core, desperate for some sort of comfort and connection the lady in question sleeps with more men.
"You're breaking all the rules
And killing all my self-esteem that's left
You take me for a fool
You're killing all my self-esteem that's left"
--"The rules" to me mean that the "guilty party" isn't allowed to guilt trip or otherwise try to manipulate the injured party after a break up as they have no right to involve themselves anymore. In my case, the ex bombarded me with texts reminding me about the good times, about how things used to be, trying to manipulate me back into her life. However as said before, the act has been seen through, the singer is not a fool and will not be played for a fool (maybe he already has been at some point)
"So tell me the story
How you lose this all i'm guessin'
You're looking so worried
can you feel it come undone?
But i finally learned my lesson
Don't tell me you're sorry
I am through with it all
and i won't be back again"
--The final verse reaffirms the theme of the song, the ex is desperate for a connection as they don't seem to be able to function without one, they come crawling back to the singer in a dishevelled state. The sympathy card does not work however (how you lose this all im guessin') and they are visibly worried, realising that their efforts are wasted (can you feel it come undone?).
The last part of the verse is the vindication for the singer, he repeats that he doesn't want anything to do with the ex, he won't be taken for a fool again, he "learned his lesson" which in my case meant i fell into her arms the second she called, was used and left out to dry after i had served my purpose.
This song means a lot to me as it is an eerily accurate description of my interactions with my ex for the last few months, she is out of my life and this song certainly helped me hammer the final nail into her coffin.
Okay, in light of a personal experience very recently this is what i understand the song to mean.
Although it's the most clichéd thing on this site, i find that the song speaks a lot about a breakup and the events that eventually follow.
"Fade out like a photograph just a memory to forget"
--This shows that after the breakup the singer has come to terms with what has happened, he isn't being angsty or wistful about the girl, he just wants to move on and get on with his life.
"You burn black like a cigarette I'll discard you when I'm done"
--To me this shows that the singer is well and truly over everything that happened, describing them as a cigarette interests me, many smokers i know find cigarettes disgusting and they hate the fact that they need them to get through the day. This shows the disdain Shaun has for the other party involved.
"You break down when you need the rest What a selfish way to drown Then lay down with the thief you met and enjoy the pride you've won"
--This verse really resonates with me and my recent situation, my girlfriend of four years recently left me for a chap she met at a houseshare at university. However we were inseparably close friends and i eventually ended up having to deal with the emotional fallout of our own breakup without any regard for my own feelings (What a selfish way to drown). The second half of this verse then goes on to show that once the wounds have healed a bit the guilty party is more than happy to hop into bed with the man she left you for. This is a perfect description of what happened to me those months ago.
"So let loose those tears, darling 'cause I'll turn my back"
--And so 11 months down the road their perfect relationship began to show signs of wearing thin and breaking down, lo and behold I start receiving texts and calls calling for my emotional support in these troubled times. The verse implies (quite rightly i think) that the protagonist is more than happy for the guilty party to be upset and is equally happy to neglect her in her time of need, as a sort of vengeance.
"So tell me the story How you lose this all I'm guessin' But don't tell me you're sorry I'm through with it all And i won't be back again"
--Again, exactly what has recently happened with me. Personally I rather enjoyed hearing about how my ex's relationship crumbled through her fingers as she tried her hardest to keep it alive. I took a sort of pleasure in the fact that she repeatedly told me she was sorry for what she did to me, desperate to rekindle an emotional connection to keep her sane. But just like the final two lines in this verse i denied this request, leaving her to flounder.
"I'm burnt out on your etiquette How you caponize the sun Then lie down with another one As you canonize yourself"
--This seems to me that Shaun can see through the facade of his ex (etiquette) while her behaviour remains unchanged at its core, desperate for some sort of comfort and connection the lady in question sleeps with more men.
"You're breaking all the rules And killing all my self-esteem that's left You take me for a fool You're killing all my self-esteem that's left"
--"The rules" to me mean that the "guilty party" isn't allowed to guilt trip or otherwise try to manipulate the injured party after a break up as they have no right to involve themselves anymore. In my case, the ex bombarded me with texts reminding me about the good times, about how things used to be, trying to manipulate me back into her life. However as said before, the act has been seen through, the singer is not a fool and will not be played for a fool (maybe he already has been at some point)
"So tell me the story How you lose this all i'm guessin' You're looking so worried can you feel it come undone? But i finally learned my lesson Don't tell me you're sorry I am through with it all and i won't be back again"
--The final verse reaffirms the theme of the song, the ex is desperate for a connection as they don't seem to be able to function without one, they come crawling back to the singer in a dishevelled state. The sympathy card does not work however (how you lose this all im guessin') and they are visibly worried, realising that their efforts are wasted (can you feel it come undone?). The last part of the verse is the vindication for the singer, he repeats that he doesn't want anything to do with the ex, he won't be taken for a fool again, he "learned his lesson" which in my case meant i fell into her arms the second she called, was used and left out to dry after i had served my purpose.
This song means a lot to me as it is an eerily accurate description of my interactions with my ex for the last few months, she is out of my life and this song certainly helped me hammer the final nail into her coffin.