most of the comments i've read say that it refers to a mother losing a son, but i think that it could refer to anybody losing anybody, especially a parent/child or husband/wife, maybe even two really good friends. i think that the first verse refers to the person realizing that its truly over, that their loved one is truly gone. they are looking through their loved one's things and memories of happier times are coming back to them. "Man I'm getting older"- realizing there own mortality. "And I haven't slept in what seems like a century" no one gets much sleep when they're stressed out over loosing someone. "And now I can barely breathe" - the person starts crying maybe?
I think the chorus is simply about the wonderful memories that the person had with the person they lost. "Just like the crow chasing the butterfly"- this has always reminded me of a man pursuing a girl, the two falling in love. "Dandelions lost in the summer sky
Cause when you and I were gettin' high as outer space"- the memories of complete joy, of that "high" feeling we get when we are really happy. the person never thought that their loved one would "slip away" becuase he/she was so happy, they'd never thought of loosing the person.
"I guess I was just a little too late"- regretting not spending more time with the person.
i think that in the second verse, the person is being overwhelmed by grief after thinking about their loved one again.
i think the whole song is a story of a person going through their friend/loved one's stuff, being overwhelmed by memories, feeling the grief, and regretting not spending more time with the person.
just my thoughts, so here it goes:
most of the comments i've read say that it refers to a mother losing a son, but i think that it could refer to anybody losing anybody, especially a parent/child or husband/wife, maybe even two really good friends. i think that the first verse refers to the person realizing that its truly over, that their loved one is truly gone. they are looking through their loved one's things and memories of happier times are coming back to them. "Man I'm getting older"- realizing there own mortality. "And I haven't slept in what seems like a century" no one gets much sleep when they're stressed out over loosing someone. "And now I can barely breathe" - the person starts crying maybe?
I think the chorus is simply about the wonderful memories that the person had with the person they lost. "Just like the crow chasing the butterfly"- this has always reminded me of a man pursuing a girl, the two falling in love. "Dandelions lost in the summer sky Cause when you and I were gettin' high as outer space"- the memories of complete joy, of that "high" feeling we get when we are really happy. the person never thought that their loved one would "slip away" becuase he/she was so happy, they'd never thought of loosing the person. "I guess I was just a little too late"- regretting not spending more time with the person.
i think that in the second verse, the person is being overwhelmed by grief after thinking about their loved one again.
i think the whole song is a story of a person going through their friend/loved one's stuff, being overwhelmed by memories, feeling the grief, and regretting not spending more time with the person.