The first verse is about a women the narrator loves breaking up with him on a ferris wheel: "Not tonight, not tonight" and the feeling of being on fire from the heartache and feeling out of body where he can only sense the weight of the wires and hear the cracking electricity. This verse ends thinking back to before there were problems in the relationship.
Whatever the problems were, they were even once "fine about it." Clearly that's not the case anymore. Regardless of his feelings of pain, the ferris wheel keeps spinning: time moves on even when we are in pain.
The verse about them not coming through is about the hopes and expectations he had for the relationship. He doesn't want to be like other lovers that gave up and didn't work out their problems. "Broken heroes" is a nod to the line in Born to Run but these broken heroes are now drinking to their past rather than being on a last chance power drive. They are doing nothing. The narrator doesn't want to give up. This verse also ends noting that the ferris wheel is still on: again this is a metaphor for time as an indifferent force passing by.
After his girl leaves him, he was left alone in the rain. I wouldn't be surprised if this part is true because of its heavy use in the song and given the odd, but poetic wording. An old man saying, "Maybe you should call yourself an ambulance" is a line someone would remember. The narrator (or Brian) looked so hurt from the breakup standing in the rain someone actually said this. The "strange" feeling is shock from someone you love leaving you. While standing there in shock he thinks of advice his mother, and others, gave him. That advice is open to interpretation.
The song ends thinking back on the memories that made him love the woman.
I think this song is about a breakup.
The first verse is about a women the narrator loves breaking up with him on a ferris wheel: "Not tonight, not tonight" and the feeling of being on fire from the heartache and feeling out of body where he can only sense the weight of the wires and hear the cracking electricity. This verse ends thinking back to before there were problems in the relationship.
Whatever the problems were, they were even once "fine about it." Clearly that's not the case anymore. Regardless of his feelings of pain, the ferris wheel keeps spinning: time moves on even when we are in pain.
The verse about them not coming through is about the hopes and expectations he had for the relationship. He doesn't want to be like other lovers that gave up and didn't work out their problems. "Broken heroes" is a nod to the line in Born to Run but these broken heroes are now drinking to their past rather than being on a last chance power drive. They are doing nothing. The narrator doesn't want to give up. This verse also ends noting that the ferris wheel is still on: again this is a metaphor for time as an indifferent force passing by.
After his girl leaves him, he was left alone in the rain. I wouldn't be surprised if this part is true because of its heavy use in the song and given the odd, but poetic wording. An old man saying, "Maybe you should call yourself an ambulance" is a line someone would remember. The narrator (or Brian) looked so hurt from the breakup standing in the rain someone actually said this. The "strange" feeling is shock from someone you love leaving you. While standing there in shock he thinks of advice his mother, and others, gave him. That advice is open to interpretation.
The song ends thinking back on the memories that made him love the woman.