So, correct me if I'm wrong…
I think the song mainly talks about Jon being betrayed by his girlfriend and his best friend.
The first verse is pretty self explanatory…
“You and I were always closest friends…”
Is talking about the two friends.
“...It's women that make enemies of men…”
Is talking about how pretty girls are the main cause of rivalry between men because it then goes on to say,
”A pretty face, a pretty face...A pretty face would one day do me in…”
I don't really understand the next verse but I guess it's about how the guy was always suspicious of the girl when he started dating her because she seemed to keep a lot from him and was very secretive…
“She came to me in middle afternoon...We held each other close the whole night through…”
I think this is talking about how the girl came to him and either seduced him into doing dirty things or she came to him and was acting all sad to make him feel bad for her and cause him to hold her close all night until he eventually fell asleep. This is when Jon says that,
“...Love is blind…”
Because he finds out that the girl had been playing him the whole time and then he goes on to sing,
“...I never saw her let you in the room…”
He was talking about his best friend who had betrayed him just like his girlfriend had…
“Someone always wins, and then they write a book...I sing my defense, fingering a different crook…” I really don't understand this verse at all…
The next two verses could be portrayed literally or figuratively…
“A gunshot was the only word you said, And all of my defenses came out red...Love is red, love is red...She left with you, you left me lying dead…”
Portrayed literally: The friend ended up shooting the guy, he didn't even say a word, he just shot him without saying anything. I think (Wild guess) what he means by defenses meant his excuses for choosing the girl over his best friend. And they came out red as in his blood from the bullet wound. Then it says,
“She left with you, you left me lying dead…”
Which obviously means that the friend left him there and the girl followed the friend.
Taken figuratively: The best friend came in and started saying things that felt like a gunshot to the guy and I don't know how to explain the defenses part. Then when the guy leaves, the girl acts like the victim and leaves with the friend instead of defending the guy.
“So I watched her as you put me in the dirt...She had my wallet tucked inside her skirt...And I went numb, I went numb...So I'm not dead if what you did don't hurt.”
Pictured literally: The “friend” went back and got the body of the guy and started to bury him. And I think the guy was watching his “friend” bury his body, from heaven and he saw the girl snatch his wallet off his body and hide it in her skirt. He was betrayed, but he didn't feel and emotion, he was just numb...He closes up with saying,
“So I'm not dead if what you did don't hurt.”
Portrayed figuratively: I think the friend went back to accuse him of more wrongdoing and the girl sits by and doesn't do anything to defend the guy at all. The guy came to his senses and decided to not think so much of it because he knows he did nothing wrong, so he felt numb as he was being wrongly accused and said,
“So I'm not dead, if what you did don't hurt.”
So, correct me if I'm wrong… I think the song mainly talks about Jon being betrayed by his girlfriend and his best friend.
The first verse is pretty self explanatory…
“You and I were always closest friends…” Is talking about the two friends. “...It's women that make enemies of men…” Is talking about how pretty girls are the main cause of rivalry between men because it then goes on to say, ”A pretty face, a pretty face...A pretty face would one day do me in…”
I don't really understand the next verse but I guess it's about how the guy was always suspicious of the girl when he started dating her because she seemed to keep a lot from him and was very secretive…
“She came to me in middle afternoon...We held each other close the whole night through…” I think this is talking about how the girl came to him and either seduced him into doing dirty things or she came to him and was acting all sad to make him feel bad for her and cause him to hold her close all night until he eventually fell asleep. This is when Jon says that, “...Love is blind…” Because he finds out that the girl had been playing him the whole time and then he goes on to sing, “...I never saw her let you in the room…” He was talking about his best friend who had betrayed him just like his girlfriend had…
“Someone always wins, and then they write a book...I sing my defense, fingering a different crook…” I really don't understand this verse at all…
The next two verses could be portrayed literally or figuratively…
“A gunshot was the only word you said, And all of my defenses came out red...Love is red, love is red...She left with you, you left me lying dead…”
Portrayed literally: The friend ended up shooting the guy, he didn't even say a word, he just shot him without saying anything. I think (Wild guess) what he means by defenses meant his excuses for choosing the girl over his best friend. And they came out red as in his blood from the bullet wound. Then it says, “She left with you, you left me lying dead…” Which obviously means that the friend left him there and the girl followed the friend.
Taken figuratively: The best friend came in and started saying things that felt like a gunshot to the guy and I don't know how to explain the defenses part. Then when the guy leaves, the girl acts like the victim and leaves with the friend instead of defending the guy.
“So I watched her as you put me in the dirt...She had my wallet tucked inside her skirt...And I went numb, I went numb...So I'm not dead if what you did don't hurt.”
Pictured literally: The “friend” went back and got the body of the guy and started to bury him. And I think the guy was watching his “friend” bury his body, from heaven and he saw the girl snatch his wallet off his body and hide it in her skirt. He was betrayed, but he didn't feel and emotion, he was just numb...He closes up with saying, “So I'm not dead if what you did don't hurt.”
Portrayed figuratively: I think the friend went back to accuse him of more wrongdoing and the girl sits by and doesn't do anything to defend the guy at all. The guy came to his senses and decided to not think so much of it because he knows he did nothing wrong, so he felt numb as he was being wrongly accused and said, “So I'm not dead, if what you did don't hurt.”
Hoped I helped out as much as I could...