Lyric discussion by wesjones21 

Cover art for Mr. Soul lyrics by Buffalo Springfield

He's doing a little soul searching because he's noticed he likes the attention of his fans for the attention itself. But for one thing...

So he's being pleased by the spotlight attention but is brought up short by the fan who is actually listening to the message and is upset...and he's realizing that is the real thing. His music has challenged the fan to to actually think which is more satisfying to him than the spotlight popularity. So he listened to the fan without objections even though it might have gotten a little personal.

Then he comments on his liking the spotlight and it's likely eventual effect...disaster. Wonders which will win out...the pleasure of the spotlight or the more serious creative side. The last thought is about how he's unsure which to pursue...spotlight or the art but supposes the fans will be the eventual judge of that.

My Interpretation