Here's my more detailed interpretation of the song:
There's an echo pulling out the meaning
Rescuing a nightmare from a dream
(I think this line is a metaphor and means that the rational voice in his head is telling him to end the nightmare by ending the relationship.. Originally the relationship started out great (a dream relationship) but over time the relationship has deteriorated and he is no longer happy (a nightmare). So the dream relationship turned into a nightmare relationship which he is now trying to end/rescue).
The voices in my head are always screaming
That none of this means anything to me
(The rational voice in his head is telling him that the relationship isn't working and that he needs to end it, and that deep down the relationship doesn't mean anything to him).
And it's a long way back from seventeen
The whispers turn into a scream
And I'm, I'm not coming home
(Pretty easy to interpret, they've been together for a long time - since they were 17. The voice in his head that was telling him the relationship needs to end started out as a whisper but is getting louder and louder until eventually he is out by himself or with friends one night and decides he isn't coming home).
Save your breath, I'm nearly
Bored to death and fading fast
(His girlfriend is arguing with him and he is telling her that she's wasting her time by arguing with him and that the relationship is nearly over).
Life is too short to last long
(Life is too short to spend it in a dead-end relationship).
Back on earth, I'm broken
Lost and cold and fading fast
(Back on earth could be a metaphor that is saying his girlfriend's head is up in the clouds or it's like she's living in a different world by being in denial about their problems).
Life is too short to last long
There's a stranger staring at the ceiling
Rescuing a tiger from a tree
The pictures in her head are always dreaming
Each of them means everything to me
(I'm not really sure what this verse means other than perhaps talking about a new woman he has met. Perhaps he's talking about her day dreaming and how he cares about this new woman and likes her so much that he even cares about her day dreams).
I think I met her at the minute that the rhythm was set down
I said I'm sorry I'm a little bit of a letdown
but all my friends are daring me to come over
so I come over and over and over
(perhaps he is reminiscing about how he met his girlfriend back when they were 17).
so let me buy you a drink and we'll pretend that you think
that I'm the man of your dreams come to life in a dive bar
(he isn't confident so he tells her that he's a let down and isn't the man of her dreams, but he'll buy her a drink and he will pretend that he is the man of her dreams).
and we'll go over and over and over
and we'll go over and over and over
and we'll go over and over and over
and we'll go over and over and over
Here's my more detailed interpretation of the song:
There's an echo pulling out the meaning Rescuing a nightmare from a dream (I think this line is a metaphor and means that the rational voice in his head is telling him to end the nightmare by ending the relationship.. Originally the relationship started out great (a dream relationship) but over time the relationship has deteriorated and he is no longer happy (a nightmare). So the dream relationship turned into a nightmare relationship which he is now trying to end/rescue).
The voices in my head are always screaming That none of this means anything to me (The rational voice in his head is telling him that the relationship isn't working and that he needs to end it, and that deep down the relationship doesn't mean anything to him).
And it's a long way back from seventeen The whispers turn into a scream And I'm, I'm not coming home (Pretty easy to interpret, they've been together for a long time - since they were 17. The voice in his head that was telling him the relationship needs to end started out as a whisper but is getting louder and louder until eventually he is out by himself or with friends one night and decides he isn't coming home).
Save your breath, I'm nearly Bored to death and fading fast (His girlfriend is arguing with him and he is telling her that she's wasting her time by arguing with him and that the relationship is nearly over).
Life is too short to last long (Life is too short to spend it in a dead-end relationship).
Back on earth, I'm broken Lost and cold and fading fast (Back on earth could be a metaphor that is saying his girlfriend's head is up in the clouds or it's like she's living in a different world by being in denial about their problems). Life is too short to last long
There's a stranger staring at the ceiling Rescuing a tiger from a tree The pictures in her head are always dreaming Each of them means everything to me (I'm not really sure what this verse means other than perhaps talking about a new woman he has met. Perhaps he's talking about her day dreaming and how he cares about this new woman and likes her so much that he even cares about her day dreams).
I think I met her at the minute that the rhythm was set down I said I'm sorry I'm a little bit of a letdown but all my friends are daring me to come over so I come over and over and over (perhaps he is reminiscing about how he met his girlfriend back when they were 17). so let me buy you a drink and we'll pretend that you think that I'm the man of your dreams come to life in a dive bar (he isn't confident so he tells her that he's a let down and isn't the man of her dreams, but he'll buy her a drink and he will pretend that he is the man of her dreams). and we'll go over and over and over and we'll go over and over and over and we'll go over and over and over and we'll go over and over and over