I'm a person who have a dream and is pursuing it, and this song really struck a cord on me. I can relate to a lot of it, so it was very understandable to me. (just how I understood it)
I really think that this song is about someone who is following his heart.
Someone who have to sacrifice people he loves, leaving them for his dreams but keeps failing and feeling like he is disappointing everyone he loves.
He is having trouble with self worth and feeling like a failure.
"I'm sorry, mother I'm sorry, I let you down"
-He thinks he is disappointing people who he cares about and people who knows he is out there to follow his dreams.
"Well, these days I'm fine - No these days I tend to lie"
-He is staying strong for them, he wants to let them know he is doing just fine on his pursuit, but he is not.
"I'll take the West train, just by the side of Amsterdam
Just by my left brain, just by the side of the Tin man"
-He is on a journey. Tin man is a fictional character searching for where his heart is. "Just by the side of the Tin man" means he is going on the same journey as Tin man did and go where his heart is.
"I'm sorry, brother I'm sorry, I let cha down
Well, these days you're fine, no these days you tend to lie
You'll take the West train, just by the side of Amsterdam
Just by your left brain, just by the side of the Tin man"
-"Brother" might be literal or referring to people who are going through the same. His brother might've also gone on the same journey, leaving they're "mother" or people they care about to follow his dreams.
"Your time will come if you wait for it, if you wait for it
It's hard, believe me I've tried
But I keep coming up short"
-He is referring to himself and to the others who tried. (before the chorus he mentioned his brother) He have gone through the same and keeps on failing.
"I'm sorry, lover you're sorry; I bring you down"
-His lover is someone who he had to sacrifice for his dreams.
"Well, these days I try and these days I tend to lie
Kinda thought I was a mystery and then I thought I wasn't meant to be
You said yourself fantastically, "Congratulations you were all alone"
-It seems that his heart was truly for his dreams, he wasn't really able to do her his best because he is focused on something else.
He thought it might be something special but he realized that what he really is meant for is not her.
Apparently, the lover FANTASTICALLY said "Congratulations you are all alone" saying to him that he can finally go for his true passion and she would not be a burden anymore because he thought that he was hurting her.
He knows she is not his true love.
"But the rain won't fall for the both of us
The sun won't shine on the both of us
Believe me when I say, that I wouldn't have it any other way"
-There is just now way they can be together. It's painful but he does not regret that he would have to be far away from them, probably just to fail. He just can't give up on his dreams. He is willing to give it all up.
"But I won't wait much longer 'cause these walls they're crashing down
And I won't wait much longer 'cause these walls they're crashing down
And I keep coming up short"
-He really tried his best but this line just shows that the meaning is really about someone who keeps on trying, pursuing their dreams but keeps on failing.
Even though they have to sacrifice so much, people they care about and love.
If you have a dream and full on pursuing it too, you can probably relate to this.
It gets you on your knees, make you be willing to give up everything for it.
I'm a person who have a dream and is pursuing it, and this song really struck a cord on me. I can relate to a lot of it, so it was very understandable to me. (just how I understood it)
I really think that this song is about someone who is following his heart. Someone who have to sacrifice people he loves, leaving them for his dreams but keeps failing and feeling like he is disappointing everyone he loves. He is having trouble with self worth and feeling like a failure.
"I'm sorry, mother I'm sorry, I let you down" -He thinks he is disappointing people who he cares about and people who knows he is out there to follow his dreams.
"Well, these days I'm fine - No these days I tend to lie" -He is staying strong for them, he wants to let them know he is doing just fine on his pursuit, but he is not.
"I'll take the West train, just by the side of Amsterdam Just by my left brain, just by the side of the Tin man"
-He is on a journey. Tin man is a fictional character searching for where his heart is. "Just by the side of the Tin man" means he is going on the same journey as Tin man did and go where his heart is.
"I'm sorry, brother I'm sorry, I let cha down Well, these days you're fine, no these days you tend to lie You'll take the West train, just by the side of Amsterdam Just by your left brain, just by the side of the Tin man"
-"Brother" might be literal or referring to people who are going through the same. His brother might've also gone on the same journey, leaving they're "mother" or people they care about to follow his dreams.
"Your time will come if you wait for it, if you wait for it It's hard, believe me I've tried But I keep coming up short"
-He is referring to himself and to the others who tried. (before the chorus he mentioned his brother) He have gone through the same and keeps on failing.
"I'm sorry, lover you're sorry; I bring you down" -His lover is someone who he had to sacrifice for his dreams.
"Well, these days I try and these days I tend to lie Kinda thought I was a mystery and then I thought I wasn't meant to be You said yourself fantastically, "Congratulations you were all alone"
-It seems that his heart was truly for his dreams, he wasn't really able to do her his best because he is focused on something else. He thought it might be something special but he realized that what he really is meant for is not her. Apparently, the lover FANTASTICALLY said "Congratulations you are all alone" saying to him that he can finally go for his true passion and she would not be a burden anymore because he thought that he was hurting her. He knows she is not his true love.
"But the rain won't fall for the both of us The sun won't shine on the both of us Believe me when I say, that I wouldn't have it any other way"
-There is just now way they can be together. It's painful but he does not regret that he would have to be far away from them, probably just to fail. He just can't give up on his dreams. He is willing to give it all up.
"But I won't wait much longer 'cause these walls they're crashing down And I won't wait much longer 'cause these walls they're crashing down And I keep coming up short"
-He really tried his best but this line just shows that the meaning is really about someone who keeps on trying, pursuing their dreams but keeps on failing. Even though they have to sacrifice so much, people they care about and love.
If you have a dream and full on pursuing it too, you can probably relate to this. It gets you on your knees, make you be willing to give up everything for it.