I believe this song is told by the perspective of a father to their child (son or daughter) who is going through their teenage years... possibly the lead singer who got into a lot of trouble with the law in his childhood.
"I can't see where you comin' from
But I know just what you runnin' from:
And what matters ain't the "who's baddest" but
The ones who stop you fallin' from your ladder, baby"
The father doesn't understand WHY his kid is acting up, but he knows that everything his kid is doing seems to be pushing both the father and mother away ("runnin' from" them and their concern/love). He's trying to tell his child that it doesn't matter if the child is "tough," or if their friends are tough, the only thing that matters is that their mother and father will always be there to catch them when they fall from their proverbial "ladder."
"And you feel like you feelin' now
And doin' things just to please your crowd,
When I love you like the way I love you,
And I suffer, but I ain't gonna cut you 'cause"
All kids go through this. They'll do or say anything to please their group of friends... but a father's love is unconditional and he will never lose that love. Even though it hurts, and the things the child says/does makes the father suffer emotionally, he'll never stop loving his child, because...
"This ain't no place for no hero.
This ain't no place for no better man.
This ain't no place for no hero
To call "home."
The kid's parents have a home, and there's no reason for the child to prove themselves there. There are no heroes, losers, or anything of the sort. There's the mother, father, and children... No "heroes" will call this their home.
"Every time I close my eyes, I think,
I think about you inside,
And your mother, givin' up on askin' why -
Why you lie, and you cheat, and you try to make
A fool outta she..."
The father is concerned for their child. They're ALWAYS thinking about them... worrying about them... night and day. But the mother has given up. She's asked "why" their child is acting up too many times and the she realizes there are no answers... it's just how children act. The child's behavior (lying, cheating, and outright disrespect) has put the parents on edge. They're at their last straw.
Then they repeat the part about this being no place for a hero... almost to reinforce that, if the child chooses to take that path, they're no longer welcome in their home...
I believe this song is told by the perspective of a father to their child (son or daughter) who is going through their teenage years... possibly the lead singer who got into a lot of trouble with the law in his childhood.
"I can't see where you comin' from But I know just what you runnin' from: And what matters ain't the "who's baddest" but The ones who stop you fallin' from your ladder, baby"
The father doesn't understand WHY his kid is acting up, but he knows that everything his kid is doing seems to be pushing both the father and mother away ("runnin' from" them and their concern/love). He's trying to tell his child that it doesn't matter if the child is "tough," or if their friends are tough, the only thing that matters is that their mother and father will always be there to catch them when they fall from their proverbial "ladder."
"And you feel like you feelin' now And doin' things just to please your crowd, When I love you like the way I love you, And I suffer, but I ain't gonna cut you 'cause"
All kids go through this. They'll do or say anything to please their group of friends... but a father's love is unconditional and he will never lose that love. Even though it hurts, and the things the child says/does makes the father suffer emotionally, he'll never stop loving his child, because...
"This ain't no place for no hero. This ain't no place for no better man. This ain't no place for no hero To call "home."
The kid's parents have a home, and there's no reason for the child to prove themselves there. There are no heroes, losers, or anything of the sort. There's the mother, father, and children... No "heroes" will call this their home.
"Every time I close my eyes, I think, I think about you inside, And your mother, givin' up on askin' why - Why you lie, and you cheat, and you try to make A fool outta she..."
The father is concerned for their child. They're ALWAYS thinking about them... worrying about them... night and day. But the mother has given up. She's asked "why" their child is acting up too many times and the she realizes there are no answers... it's just how children act. The child's behavior (lying, cheating, and outright disrespect) has put the parents on edge. They're at their last straw.
Then they repeat the part about this being no place for a hero... almost to reinforce that, if the child chooses to take that path, they're no longer welcome in their home...
"This ain't no place for no hero To call "home."