This song is about coming-of-age in the context of a relationship with an ex-girlfriend. The "you" Ezra addresses in the song ("you always step to my girl") is actually himself -- he always screws himself over.
The first verse alludes to an earlier time in Ezra's life when he was more pretentious. (End of college / just after college, knowing Ezra's story.) He used to "front" as if he were worldly, but in reality he was just sitting in New York listening to disco. His girl was actually worldly ("in Berkeley with her Communist reader") - but in retrospect he knows he "entombed her in boombox and walkman" - which is to say that he only saw her through the lens of his own needs at the time, ie his music. "I was a hoarder but girl that was back then" -- he was a hoarder of obscure references, a hoarder of "vibes," basically he was just trying way too hard to be cool, and he knows it was actually selfish of him, in retrospect. He treated her selfishly.
The hook elucidates the meaning of the whole song: he's "ready for the house / such a modest mouse" -- he is way more modest/mature than he has been in the past -- and acknowledges, finally, that he "can't do it alone" -- he needs a girl to complete his life with.
The second verse harkens back to the time he spent with this girl when they were first together. His family ("ancestors") told him to find someone richer and tougher - they told him she wasn't ready to ride or die with him - but he didn't listen, cause he was so in love with her. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, young "punks" huddled smoking weed on Astor Place didn't believe in their relationship either, those people thought serious love was silly in general. Ezra rejected both points of view ("stale conversation deserves but a breadknife" & "they didn't know how to dress for the weather") because he was so in love with this girl at that time in his life. He couldn't picture life without her, he felt as if they were right and everyone else was wrong. TRUE LOVE etc etc.
INSERT BRIDGE HERE, THEY BREAK UP CAUSE HE AINT READY FOR CHILDREN, YEARS GO BY, ETC
Third verse. "Wisdom's a gift but you'd trade it for youth / age is an honor but it's still not the truth." He's older and wiser now which is great but he's still, even now, searching for that young true love that he had with this girl.
"We saw the stars when they hid from the world" - he's saying that she and him found the true meaning of life even when no one else could see it.
"You cursed the sun when it stepped to your girl" - now he's speaking to his younger, more naive self, who blamed fate for breaking them up and got angry about it.
"Maybe she's gone, and I can't resurrect her
The truth is she doesn't need me to protect her" - current Ezra, though, is older and wise enough to know that the love they shared is gone, maybe forever, and that his girl doesn't need him to have the life she wants.
"We know the true death -- the true way of all flesh
Everyone's dying, but girl -- you're not old yet"
But he still wants her back, before she gets "old" i.e. dies - he wants to get old with her.
This song is about coming-of-age in the context of a relationship with an ex-girlfriend. The "you" Ezra addresses in the song ("you always step to my girl") is actually himself -- he always screws himself over.
The first verse alludes to an earlier time in Ezra's life when he was more pretentious. (End of college / just after college, knowing Ezra's story.) He used to "front" as if he were worldly, but in reality he was just sitting in New York listening to disco. His girl was actually worldly ("in Berkeley with her Communist reader") - but in retrospect he knows he "entombed her in boombox and walkman" - which is to say that he only saw her through the lens of his own needs at the time, ie his music. "I was a hoarder but girl that was back then" -- he was a hoarder of obscure references, a hoarder of "vibes," basically he was just trying way too hard to be cool, and he knows it was actually selfish of him, in retrospect. He treated her selfishly.
The hook elucidates the meaning of the whole song: he's "ready for the house / such a modest mouse" -- he is way more modest/mature than he has been in the past -- and acknowledges, finally, that he "can't do it alone" -- he needs a girl to complete his life with.
The second verse harkens back to the time he spent with this girl when they were first together. His family ("ancestors") told him to find someone richer and tougher - they told him she wasn't ready to ride or die with him - but he didn't listen, cause he was so in love with her. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, young "punks" huddled smoking weed on Astor Place didn't believe in their relationship either, those people thought serious love was silly in general. Ezra rejected both points of view ("stale conversation deserves but a breadknife" & "they didn't know how to dress for the weather") because he was so in love with this girl at that time in his life. He couldn't picture life without her, he felt as if they were right and everyone else was wrong. TRUE LOVE etc etc.
INSERT BRIDGE HERE, THEY BREAK UP CAUSE HE AINT READY FOR CHILDREN, YEARS GO BY, ETC
Third verse. "Wisdom's a gift but you'd trade it for youth / age is an honor but it's still not the truth." He's older and wiser now which is great but he's still, even now, searching for that young true love that he had with this girl.
"We saw the stars when they hid from the world" - he's saying that she and him found the true meaning of life even when no one else could see it.
"You cursed the sun when it stepped to your girl" - now he's speaking to his younger, more naive self, who blamed fate for breaking them up and got angry about it.
"Maybe she's gone, and I can't resurrect her The truth is she doesn't need me to protect her" - current Ezra, though, is older and wise enough to know that the love they shared is gone, maybe forever, and that his girl doesn't need him to have the life she wants.
"We know the true death -- the true way of all flesh Everyone's dying, but girl -- you're not old yet" But he still wants her back, before she gets "old" i.e. dies - he wants to get old with her.