I think this is a song about two soldiers fighting on the battlefield. One friend is trying to help the other. They see others dying around them, but they have to keep going. They survive and make it home but one can’t take the weight of what they went through so one becomes suicidal. The lyricist tells them not to leave. He needs his friend to hang in there.
Screaming on the inside (Angry and in pain)
I am frail and withered (His body is weak)
Cover up the wounds (Basically make a makeshift patch to fix the wound)
That I can't hide (It won’t hide the wound)
Walls that lie between us (One of his comrades died)
The saint within the sinner (He was a good guy but war made him kill)
I have lost the nerve (He struggles to keep it together)
But it's all right ( he can go on)
Carry the wounded and shut your eyes (You try to save your friend and close your eyes to the shots around you)
All will be forgiven (Fighting for your country is a justified act)
None will rise (Those who are gone can’t return)
Bury the fallen and lead the blind (He’s saying you have to keep going. You can place the dead behind you because you have those that are alive that need you)
I will fight the loss (It’ll always be an internal struggle, losing and seeing your comrades die one by one)
Dead inside (You have to numb those feelings)
Into the nothing (Even if it kills him)
Faded and weary (Tired and worn)
I won't leave and let you fall behind (He won’t let his friend die)
Live for the dying (He has to live for those who lost their lives)
Heaven hear me (He’s saying a prayer while fighting through it)
I know we can make it out alive (He knows he can pull through with his friend and he’ll do what he can to make sure they both live through it)
Leave me at the bottom (He starts to feel the internal pain of what’s happened)
I am lost forever (He’s a changed person and won’t be the same because of the things he’s seen)
Letters from the dead (Soldiers that wrote home)
Say goodbye (It might be the end)
Sorrow falls upon us (They begin to feel the weight of the situation)
This will be the last time (repeating it might be over for them)
Days begin to end (The war is over)
But I'll get by (He has to keep going on with his life)
Follow the hopeless (Just like many soldiers who return home, there might be a sense of hopelessness)
And shut your eyes (He’s saying it’s over now so close your eyes)
All will be abandoned
None will shine
Gather the broken and leave this life (Sometimes soldiers become suicidal after great loss)
Lying in the earth
Side by side (soldiers at the cemetery)
Into the nothing
Faded and weary
I won't leave and let you fall behind (He’s saying he won’t let his friend go through with the suicide)
Live for the dying (You have to live for all those who lost their own life)
Heaven hear me (He’s saying a prayer)
I know we can make it out alive (He knows they can eventually recover)
I'll keep you inside (In his heart)
Where I lead you cannot follow (I think this is the other person saying they want to die)
Straight into the light (Heaven)
As my breath grows still and shallow (Dying)
Into the nothing
Faded and weary
I won't leave and let them fall behind
Live for the dying
Heaven hear me
I know we can make it out alive
Stay with me (He’s telling the suicidal soldier to stay with him)
You're all I have left (They made it out alive together and he needs his friend to hang in there)
I know we can make it out alive (He knows things will get better in life)
Stay with me (Don’t leave. Stay alive)
You're all I have left
I know we can make it out alive
I’m a military veteran, so maybe that’s why I read the lyrics this way.
I think this is a song about two soldiers fighting on the battlefield. One friend is trying to help the other. They see others dying around them, but they have to keep going. They survive and make it home but one can’t take the weight of what they went through so one becomes suicidal. The lyricist tells them not to leave. He needs his friend to hang in there.
Screaming on the inside (Angry and in pain) I am frail and withered (His body is weak) Cover up the wounds (Basically make a makeshift patch to fix the wound) That I can't hide (It won’t hide the wound) Walls that lie between us (One of his comrades died) The saint within the sinner (He was a good guy but war made him kill) I have lost the nerve (He struggles to keep it together) But it's all right ( he can go on) Carry the wounded and shut your eyes (You try to save your friend and close your eyes to the shots around you) All will be forgiven (Fighting for your country is a justified act) None will rise (Those who are gone can’t return) Bury the fallen and lead the blind (He’s saying you have to keep going. You can place the dead behind you because you have those that are alive that need you) I will fight the loss (It’ll always be an internal struggle, losing and seeing your comrades die one by one) Dead inside (You have to numb those feelings)
Into the nothing (Even if it kills him) Faded and weary (Tired and worn) I won't leave and let you fall behind (He won’t let his friend die) Live for the dying (He has to live for those who lost their lives) Heaven hear me (He’s saying a prayer while fighting through it) I know we can make it out alive (He knows he can pull through with his friend and he’ll do what he can to make sure they both live through it)
Leave me at the bottom (He starts to feel the internal pain of what’s happened) I am lost forever (He’s a changed person and won’t be the same because of the things he’s seen) Letters from the dead (Soldiers that wrote home) Say goodbye (It might be the end) Sorrow falls upon us (They begin to feel the weight of the situation) This will be the last time (repeating it might be over for them) Days begin to end (The war is over) But I'll get by (He has to keep going on with his life) Follow the hopeless (Just like many soldiers who return home, there might be a sense of hopelessness) And shut your eyes (He’s saying it’s over now so close your eyes)
All will be abandoned None will shine Gather the broken and leave this life (Sometimes soldiers become suicidal after great loss) Lying in the earth Side by side (soldiers at the cemetery)
Into the nothing Faded and weary I won't leave and let you fall behind (He’s saying he won’t let his friend go through with the suicide) Live for the dying (You have to live for all those who lost their own life) Heaven hear me (He’s saying a prayer) I know we can make it out alive (He knows they can eventually recover)
I'll keep you inside (In his heart) Where I lead you cannot follow (I think this is the other person saying they want to die) Straight into the light (Heaven) As my breath grows still and shallow (Dying)
Into the nothing Faded and weary I won't leave and let them fall behind Live for the dying Heaven hear me I know we can make it out alive
Stay with me (He’s telling the suicidal soldier to stay with him) You're all I have left (They made it out alive together and he needs his friend to hang in there) I know we can make it out alive (He knows things will get better in life) Stay with me (Don’t leave. Stay alive) You're all I have left I know we can make it out alive I’m a military veteran, so maybe that’s why I read the lyrics this way.