I think this song is explaining the confusing struggle between moving on to someone new versus staying true to your first love. It tells a tale that personally, I am very familiar with. The person in this song is torn between moving on from their first love and finding someone new or waiting for their first love to choose them and stay true. They are in this game of back and forth between who loves who. It seems that when the person is devoted to their first love, they want nothing to do with them. However, once the person moves on from their first love, the first love becomes interested and sparks the hope (the candle) that every thing can work again. So the person becomes paranoid with this constant debate of whether or not to move on - in this game they are playing they never know when they will be wanted, or essentially good enough, again. It's a game of trust issues and back and forth with bad timing. Both in the lyrics and the music video, it shows the struggle of bad timing, trying to move on, coming back to one another, and the constant fear of vulnerability that love creates. Love is truly a game and in order to be successful you must play it right - this shows the paranoia that occurs while playing the game from one persons point of view.
"Cheated and lied, broken so bad
You made a vow, never get mad
You play the game, though it's unfair
First you lose trust, they you get worried"
This is talking about how the relationship between the person and their first love ended. Relationship and trust issues from maybe the first love being unfaithful yet the the person vowed to not get mad and hang on to the relationship or at least the person. The relationship then becomes a game of deciding how you feel. Do you pursue the person because of how you feel, or do you move on from the pain of the relationship and try to be happy with someone else?
"Night after night, bar after club
Dropping like flies, who woke you up
On the front lawn, sprinklers turned on"
This is saying that the person decided to try someone new. The new people are "dropping like flies" because they can't compare to the first love. They went out to the bars to get over the pain of losing their first love. "Who woke you up" is trying to figure out which person is the right one for the person. The sprinklers are the tormenting thoughts that keep on drenching the persons mind.
"It's not your house, where'd you go wrong?
First you get hurt, then you feel sorry"
This is saying that the house is their first love; they're trying to figure out where they went wrong. How they could undo the past pain and get back to the happy trusting moments in the relationship. The person feels hurt so they moved on to someone else but then they feel sorry because they beat yourself up trying to figure out if it was right for you move on or if it was too soon. They're in a game of which scenario will bring them the most joy. It is a back and forth of who has their heart.
"There comes a time, in a short life
Turn it around, get a rewrite
Call it a dark, night of the soul
Ticking of clocks, gravity’s pull
First you get close, then you get worried"
This is talking about choosing to go back to the first love. Trying to make it right by having a "rewrite" and getting the timing right in the relationship with the mentioning of the clock and the underlying pull of gravity between them and their first love. Yet, they can't shake the feeling that you'll get hurt again and become trapped in the worrying game of what to do.
"Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth
Heavy as a feather when, you hit the dirt
How am I the lucky one?, I do not deserve
To wait around forever when, you were there first
First you get hurt, then you feel sorry"
This is depicting the mental and emotional struggle that is created when trying to find out what to do. Do they wait around for forever for the first love even though there is a chance they will get hurt again? This ordeal causes a great pain but they can't deny the sense of hurt that they feel for trying to figure out what to do.
"You're going silent, the silent treatment
It's not inviting now, don't deny what you meant"
The person shuts their first love out in retaliation. This could mean two things. This could mean they might go against advice of others such as friends that advise them to move on from their first love. This could also mean that they have chosen to move on from the first love, they shut them out, yet they can't deny that there is a love between the two of them.
"You get excited, you get excited
You got a feel it, oh, at least you can pretend
You wanna light it, you wanna light it
You wanna light it now, the candle from both ends
You get excited, you get excited"
This is saying that they meet someone new. They are excited at this new change. It's different and it's healthy. Hope has been re-kindled and they are happy with this new person.
"Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth
Heavy as a feather when, you hit the dirt
How am I the lucky one?, I do not deserve
To wait around forever when, you were there first
Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth
Heavy as a feather when, you hit the dirt
How am I the lucky one?, I do not deserve
To wait around forever when, you were there first
First you get close, then you get worried
First you get close, then you get worried
First you get close, then you get worried
First you get close, then you get worried"
This is showing the questioning that takes place during the new relationship. The first love being manipulative in the game that both of them are playing. The person is happy with someone new yet they can't shake the worrying feeling that maybe they should have waited and stayed true to their first love. Maybe moving on was wrong, and they're afraid that they will lose their first love forever now. They are spiraling out of control like a cannon ball.
"You wanna light it, you wanna light it
You wanna light it now, the candle from both ends
You wanna light it, you wanna light it
You wanna light it now, the candle from both ends"
The song ends with the everlasting hope of the person and their first love. They want to rekindle the flame that they know is there. The person wants to light one end of the candle and they want their first love to be willing to light the other end. A form of mutual agreement that the person and their first love are both dedicated. That trust has been resolved. That there are no more games to be played.
I think this song is explaining the confusing struggle between moving on to someone new versus staying true to your first love. It tells a tale that personally, I am very familiar with. The person in this song is torn between moving on from their first love and finding someone new or waiting for their first love to choose them and stay true. They are in this game of back and forth between who loves who. It seems that when the person is devoted to their first love, they want nothing to do with them. However, once the person moves on from their first love, the first love becomes interested and sparks the hope (the candle) that every thing can work again. So the person becomes paranoid with this constant debate of whether or not to move on - in this game they are playing they never know when they will be wanted, or essentially good enough, again. It's a game of trust issues and back and forth with bad timing. Both in the lyrics and the music video, it shows the struggle of bad timing, trying to move on, coming back to one another, and the constant fear of vulnerability that love creates. Love is truly a game and in order to be successful you must play it right - this shows the paranoia that occurs while playing the game from one persons point of view.
"Cheated and lied, broken so bad You made a vow, never get mad You play the game, though it's unfair First you lose trust, they you get worried"
This is talking about how the relationship between the person and their first love ended. Relationship and trust issues from maybe the first love being unfaithful yet the the person vowed to not get mad and hang on to the relationship or at least the person. The relationship then becomes a game of deciding how you feel. Do you pursue the person because of how you feel, or do you move on from the pain of the relationship and try to be happy with someone else?
"Night after night, bar after club Dropping like flies, who woke you up On the front lawn, sprinklers turned on"
This is saying that the person decided to try someone new. The new people are "dropping like flies" because they can't compare to the first love. They went out to the bars to get over the pain of losing their first love. "Who woke you up" is trying to figure out which person is the right one for the person. The sprinklers are the tormenting thoughts that keep on drenching the persons mind.
"It's not your house, where'd you go wrong? First you get hurt, then you feel sorry"
This is saying that the house is their first love; they're trying to figure out where they went wrong. How they could undo the past pain and get back to the happy trusting moments in the relationship. The person feels hurt so they moved on to someone else but then they feel sorry because they beat yourself up trying to figure out if it was right for you move on or if it was too soon. They're in a game of which scenario will bring them the most joy. It is a back and forth of who has their heart.
"There comes a time, in a short life Turn it around, get a rewrite Call it a dark, night of the soul Ticking of clocks, gravity’s pull First you get close, then you get worried"
This is talking about choosing to go back to the first love. Trying to make it right by having a "rewrite" and getting the timing right in the relationship with the mentioning of the clock and the underlying pull of gravity between them and their first love. Yet, they can't shake the feeling that you'll get hurt again and become trapped in the worrying game of what to do.
"Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth Heavy as a feather when, you hit the dirt How am I the lucky one?, I do not deserve To wait around forever when, you were there first First you get hurt, then you feel sorry"
This is depicting the mental and emotional struggle that is created when trying to find out what to do. Do they wait around for forever for the first love even though there is a chance they will get hurt again? This ordeal causes a great pain but they can't deny the sense of hurt that they feel for trying to figure out what to do.
"You're going silent, the silent treatment It's not inviting now, don't deny what you meant"
The person shuts their first love out in retaliation. This could mean two things. This could mean they might go against advice of others such as friends that advise them to move on from their first love. This could also mean that they have chosen to move on from the first love, they shut them out, yet they can't deny that there is a love between the two of them.
"You get excited, you get excited You got a feel it, oh, at least you can pretend You wanna light it, you wanna light it You wanna light it now, the candle from both ends You get excited, you get excited"
This is saying that they meet someone new. They are excited at this new change. It's different and it's healthy. Hope has been re-kindled and they are happy with this new person.
"Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth Heavy as a feather when, you hit the dirt How am I the lucky one?, I do not deserve To wait around forever when, you were there first Flying like a cannonball, falling to the earth Heavy as a feather when, you hit the dirt How am I the lucky one?, I do not deserve To wait around forever when, you were there first
First you get close, then you get worried First you get close, then you get worried First you get close, then you get worried First you get close, then you get worried"
This is showing the questioning that takes place during the new relationship. The first love being manipulative in the game that both of them are playing. The person is happy with someone new yet they can't shake the worrying feeling that maybe they should have waited and stayed true to their first love. Maybe moving on was wrong, and they're afraid that they will lose their first love forever now. They are spiraling out of control like a cannon ball.
"You wanna light it, you wanna light it You wanna light it now, the candle from both ends You wanna light it, you wanna light it You wanna light it now, the candle from both ends"
The song ends with the everlasting hope of the person and their first love. They want to rekindle the flame that they know is there. The person wants to light one end of the candle and they want their first love to be willing to light the other end. A form of mutual agreement that the person and their first love are both dedicated. That trust has been resolved. That there are no more games to be played.