Following Yokinazu's comment about the song's inspiration, Wes has said finding a pistol in his dad's sock drawer got him thinking about all the things he never knew about his late father who passed away shortly before. I don't think Wes realized how far his father was willing to go to protect his family since we was so surprised to find a gun in the house.
This theme of protection runs through each verse of the song. Finding his dad's gun got Wes thinking about himself and his capacity to protect or stand up for his beliefs, his sweetheart, or his family. Unlike his father, he says he doesn't own a single gun, meaning he's worried he doesn't have the courage to throw a punch or get in the face of all the bad men trying to hurt those he loves. The funny thing is, he doesn't even have a sweetheart to protect. That doesn't stop this young man from worrying about his own capacity to protect or please. It's an anxiety over something that hasn't even happened yet.
When he finds his dad's gun, he begins to reflect on his younger self. Some things he knew were true, some wrong. It's almost like Wes is looking back and asking, why did I spend so much time worrying about finding love? Why was I so worried about protecting a love I didn't have? My father had a family and had a gun to protect them. He was thinking about the right things, but spent too much time worrying instead of taking action. That's what he means when he says he prays to be more than his father's son; to go from the one his father protects to protecting those he loves.
Following Yokinazu's comment about the song's inspiration, Wes has said finding a pistol in his dad's sock drawer got him thinking about all the things he never knew about his late father who passed away shortly before. I don't think Wes realized how far his father was willing to go to protect his family since we was so surprised to find a gun in the house.
This theme of protection runs through each verse of the song. Finding his dad's gun got Wes thinking about himself and his capacity to protect or stand up for his beliefs, his sweetheart, or his family. Unlike his father, he says he doesn't own a single gun, meaning he's worried he doesn't have the courage to throw a punch or get in the face of all the bad men trying to hurt those he loves. The funny thing is, he doesn't even have a sweetheart to protect. That doesn't stop this young man from worrying about his own capacity to protect or please. It's an anxiety over something that hasn't even happened yet.
When he finds his dad's gun, he begins to reflect on his younger self. Some things he knew were true, some wrong. It's almost like Wes is looking back and asking, why did I spend so much time worrying about finding love? Why was I so worried about protecting a love I didn't have? My father had a family and had a gun to protect them. He was thinking about the right things, but spent too much time worrying instead of taking action. That's what he means when he says he prays to be more than his father's son; to go from the one his father protects to protecting those he loves.