It's a song about destruction for sure, but I think it's up for interpretation if it's self-destruction or destruction of people around him.
I knew that something would always ruin me
I knew the scent was mine alone
He feels guilty about the bad things he's done, likely in anger.
When I was a man I thought it ended
When I knew love's perfect ache
But my peace has always depended
On all the ashes in my wake
He found love and then he ruined it because he could never feel peace when he was happy. It's the classic self-destructive relationship scenario where someone feels like they don't deserve the happiness.
It's a song about destruction for sure, but I think it's up for interpretation if it's self-destruction or destruction of people around him.
I knew that something would always ruin me I knew the scent was mine alone
He feels guilty about the bad things he's done, likely in anger.
When I was a man I thought it ended When I knew love's perfect ache But my peace has always depended On all the ashes in my wake
He found love and then he ruined it because he could never feel peace when he was happy. It's the classic self-destructive relationship scenario where someone feels like they don't deserve the happiness.