This is one of my favorite songs. To me this song could have several meanings. 1. A woman in a relationship with a guy. She cheated, lied and he found out. She loves him but the relationship is damaged. Whenever she wants to talk about this he avoids the conversation. Not moving on, not breaking up, not forgiving but not leaving. Once on the path of a happy couple to marriage their path is now broken. She sings of regret and sorrow marked with sleepless nights and getting drunk. 2. The other meaning I have thought of is a woman struggling with alcohol addiction. A boyfriend who doesn’t want to face it. The cycle of addiction with alcoholism hiding it, lying about it. Relationship falling apart from addiction. 3. Another meaning focuses on the throwing the hat in the air. Tossing the hat symbolizes a bright future and success. Watching it fall signifies a let down as reality setting in. This is a beautiful, deep and meaningful song I wish there were more thoughts and comments on it on here.
@Cbjguppie I think it's a mix of one and two in that this song seems to be an imaginary letter to an ex of hers where she reminiscences of a relationship she once had and a particular moment in that relationship (i.e. when they attended his cousin's graduation at West Point) where she told the guy that she was breaking up with him ("wander[ing] off") even though she "lied." "The truth," that she loved him, would've caused him to "run and hide" because but he was afraid of her saying that or commitment. She imagines actually meeting up with him...
@Cbjguppie I think it's a mix of one and two in that this song seems to be an imaginary letter to an ex of hers where she reminiscences of a relationship she once had and a particular moment in that relationship (i.e. when they attended his cousin's graduation at West Point) where she told the guy that she was breaking up with him ("wander[ing] off") even though she "lied." "The truth," that she loved him, would've caused him to "run and hide" because but he was afraid of her saying that or commitment. She imagines actually meeting up with him in person "at the bar at the hotel" and him "want[ing] to tell" her "something"; that he reciprocates her feelings but him being unable to say it (i.e. her hopes rising and then falling). Despite him not being in her life, she still "carries [him] along" and assess them as not having partners (i.e. "no boyfriend," for her, and "no wife" for him). All of this has left her in a depressed state where she has resorting to drinking to cope with her loneliness and heartbreak and hoping that she doesn't "die here and nobody know."
This is one of my favorite songs. To me this song could have several meanings. 1. A woman in a relationship with a guy. She cheated, lied and he found out. She loves him but the relationship is damaged. Whenever she wants to talk about this he avoids the conversation. Not moving on, not breaking up, not forgiving but not leaving. Once on the path of a happy couple to marriage their path is now broken. She sings of regret and sorrow marked with sleepless nights and getting drunk. 2. The other meaning I have thought of is a woman struggling with alcohol addiction. A boyfriend who doesn’t want to face it. The cycle of addiction with alcoholism hiding it, lying about it. Relationship falling apart from addiction. 3. Another meaning focuses on the throwing the hat in the air. Tossing the hat symbolizes a bright future and success. Watching it fall signifies a let down as reality setting in. This is a beautiful, deep and meaningful song I wish there were more thoughts and comments on it on here.
@Cbjguppie I think it's a mix of one and two in that this song seems to be an imaginary letter to an ex of hers where she reminiscences of a relationship she once had and a particular moment in that relationship (i.e. when they attended his cousin's graduation at West Point) where she told the guy that she was breaking up with him ("wander[ing] off") even though she "lied." "The truth," that she loved him, would've caused him to "run and hide" because but he was afraid of her saying that or commitment. She imagines actually meeting up with him...
@Cbjguppie I think it's a mix of one and two in that this song seems to be an imaginary letter to an ex of hers where she reminiscences of a relationship she once had and a particular moment in that relationship (i.e. when they attended his cousin's graduation at West Point) where she told the guy that she was breaking up with him ("wander[ing] off") even though she "lied." "The truth," that she loved him, would've caused him to "run and hide" because but he was afraid of her saying that or commitment. She imagines actually meeting up with him in person "at the bar at the hotel" and him "want[ing] to tell" her "something"; that he reciprocates her feelings but him being unable to say it (i.e. her hopes rising and then falling). Despite him not being in her life, she still "carries [him] along" and assess them as not having partners (i.e. "no boyfriend," for her, and "no wife" for him). All of this has left her in a depressed state where she has resorting to drinking to cope with her loneliness and heartbreak and hoping that she doesn't "die here and nobody know."
rise and fall