To me this about the fear of dying and being remembered for the bad rather than the good things in your life. Older people will tend to reflect on their lives and wonder if they've lived one of worth and if they've accomplished everything they've wanted to accomplish. You want to die with the comfort of knowing you were someone of worth so you can have that sense of peace and content when your time does indeed come. He's saying that when he dies, he doesn't want to be remembered for the wrong he's done and he wants someone to miss him. It would be terrible to leave this earth and then no one would miss you when you're gone. I don't think anyone wants that. He basically doesn't want his wrongs to be the reason for someone to resent him. Rather he'd be remembered for his good qualities and to literally "leave out all the rest."
On the next verse where he states "Don't be afraid, I've taken my beating." It sounds to me like he's reassuring himself that he can die knowing that what's done is done and there is no need in grieving over it. He's paid for is wrongs and he's taken responsibility for them. So because he has done this, there is no reason for someone else to hold it against him. I like to use the phrase "What Right do you have to judge me for what I've already been forgiven for?" And if you want to put a religious spin on this and your relationship with God you can do that too. The moment when you repent and ask him for forgiveness and have this sense of peace with God and yourself, and so your only fear now is what others will think of you after you're long gone. Simple answer to that question: As long as you make peace with yourself and God, who cares what anyone else thinks? Especially if you're dead and gone I think the last thing you're going to be worried about is what people on earth are thinking.
But aside from all that, assuming you wouldn't prefer to look at it from a religious perspective, you could take it as again taking responsibility for your actions and your wrongs. And once you do that, no one has the right to blame you or judge you because you have already taken that upon yourself. This goes along with the lines "Forgetting all the hurt inside you've learned to hide so well...pretending someone else can come and save me from myself." Basically he's recognizing the face that there's no point in hiding from your past and your feelings and it's best to own up to them and let them go. Don't sit there and point fingers at anyone else for your own wrongs. Be mature enough to blame yourself sometimes. And also, don't waste time feeling sorry for yourself and waiting for someone else to come and help you solve your problems. No, you have to be that person to bring yourself from whatever darkness you're experiencing and to solve your own problems. It's okay to ask for help but don't rely solely on anyone else.
To me this about the fear of dying and being remembered for the bad rather than the good things in your life. Older people will tend to reflect on their lives and wonder if they've lived one of worth and if they've accomplished everything they've wanted to accomplish. You want to die with the comfort of knowing you were someone of worth so you can have that sense of peace and content when your time does indeed come. He's saying that when he dies, he doesn't want to be remembered for the wrong he's done and he wants someone to miss him. It would be terrible to leave this earth and then no one would miss you when you're gone. I don't think anyone wants that. He basically doesn't want his wrongs to be the reason for someone to resent him. Rather he'd be remembered for his good qualities and to literally "leave out all the rest."
On the next verse where he states "Don't be afraid, I've taken my beating." It sounds to me like he's reassuring himself that he can die knowing that what's done is done and there is no need in grieving over it. He's paid for is wrongs and he's taken responsibility for them. So because he has done this, there is no reason for someone else to hold it against him. I like to use the phrase "What Right do you have to judge me for what I've already been forgiven for?" And if you want to put a religious spin on this and your relationship with God you can do that too. The moment when you repent and ask him for forgiveness and have this sense of peace with God and yourself, and so your only fear now is what others will think of you after you're long gone. Simple answer to that question: As long as you make peace with yourself and God, who cares what anyone else thinks? Especially if you're dead and gone I think the last thing you're going to be worried about is what people on earth are thinking.
But aside from all that, assuming you wouldn't prefer to look at it from a religious perspective, you could take it as again taking responsibility for your actions and your wrongs. And once you do that, no one has the right to blame you or judge you because you have already taken that upon yourself. This goes along with the lines "Forgetting all the hurt inside you've learned to hide so well...pretending someone else can come and save me from myself." Basically he's recognizing the face that there's no point in hiding from your past and your feelings and it's best to own up to them and let them go. Don't sit there and point fingers at anyone else for your own wrongs. Be mature enough to blame yourself sometimes. And also, don't waste time feeling sorry for yourself and waiting for someone else to come and help you solve your problems. No, you have to be that person to bring yourself from whatever darkness you're experiencing and to solve your own problems. It's okay to ask for help but don't rely solely on anyone else.