My interpretation differs from the one by Rasmus. I think this song is simply about sex and infidelity.
Could it be biographical? Possibly, James has had issues in the past, but here is what makes me think that.
The song starts with 'Obey'. Traditional marriage vows where he promises to 'Love, honour and Obey', but as sincere as he is he knows that it's going to end in tears because he can't resist other women. He concedes to the temptation and both he and the wife he's cheating on bleed from guilt.
His halo is on fire because he's perceived as being the good guy, the happily married man who is far from it. He feels massive guilt over this and lies in bed at night (with or without the wife) knowing he's done wrong. He fears to turn on the light because the woman next to him isn't who it should be, she's that 'darkness', the side of him addicted to sex.
The rest of the song continues with the struggle, he needs the sex to feel alive but the guilt eats away at him. He goes back to the vows, Obey. He's begging his wife to not turn away from him and forgive him.
Open or closed my eyes betray. He can't hide the truth from her, he asks her to stay but the ending of the song suggests he's saying goodbye to her and hello to the darkness thats now in his life.
My interpretation differs from the one by Rasmus. I think this song is simply about sex and infidelity.
Could it be biographical? Possibly, James has had issues in the past, but here is what makes me think that.
The song starts with 'Obey'. Traditional marriage vows where he promises to 'Love, honour and Obey', but as sincere as he is he knows that it's going to end in tears because he can't resist other women. He concedes to the temptation and both he and the wife he's cheating on bleed from guilt.
His halo is on fire because he's perceived as being the good guy, the happily married man who is far from it. He feels massive guilt over this and lies in bed at night (with or without the wife) knowing he's done wrong. He fears to turn on the light because the woman next to him isn't who it should be, she's that 'darkness', the side of him addicted to sex.
The rest of the song continues with the struggle, he needs the sex to feel alive but the guilt eats away at him. He goes back to the vows, Obey. He's begging his wife to not turn away from him and forgive him.
Open or closed my eyes betray. He can't hide the truth from her, he asks her to stay but the ending of the song suggests he's saying goodbye to her and hello to the darkness thats now in his life.