To me this song can be read as being about heroin rather than a relationship. A lot of the imagery fits addiction almost too perfectly. “Turned blue like New Orleans” can refer to bruising at injection sites, while also nodding to the blues tradition that came out of pain and suffering. “I still feel you beneath my skin” feels literal; the drug stays inside you, physically and mentally. The repeated idea of being “tempted to throw my senses in” echoes the urge to go all in again. And “it’s easier to fly” works as a metaphor for getting high to escape reality, instead of enduring the harsh “southern sun,” which could represent withdrawal or just the weight of everyday life. Lines like “you last like a song” and “I’m deflated” describe the temporary high followed by the inevitable crash. When seen this way, the whole song becomes a cycle of craving, escape, collapse, and the haunting presence of the drug.
To me this song can be read as being about heroin rather than a relationship. A lot of the imagery fits addiction almost too perfectly. “Turned blue like New Orleans” can refer to bruising at injection sites, while also nodding to the blues tradition that came out of pain and suffering. “I still feel you beneath my skin” feels literal; the drug stays inside you, physically and mentally. The repeated idea of being “tempted to throw my senses in” echoes the urge to go all in again. And “it’s easier to fly” works as a metaphor for getting high to escape reality, instead of enduring the harsh “southern sun,” which could represent withdrawal or just the weight of everyday life. Lines like “you last like a song” and “I’m deflated” describe the temporary high followed by the inevitable crash. When seen this way, the whole song becomes a cycle of craving, escape, collapse, and the haunting presence of the drug.
[Edit: grammar]