Lyrics
Step one, you say, "We need to talk"
Initiating a serious conversation, expressing the need to talk
He walks, you say
Describing the movement of the other person
"Sit down it's just a talk"
Inviting the person to sit down for a conversation
He smiles politely back at you
Recipient of the conversation responds with a polite smile
You stare politely right on through
You look at him but don't really see or connect
Some sort of window to your right
Reference to an environment, possibly representing the relationship
As he goes left and you stay right
Symbolizing diverging paths or decisions
Between the lines of fear and blame
Exploring the complex emotions between fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Questioning the reasons for being in the situation
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Reflecting on a mistake that led to the loss of a friendship
Somewhere along in the bitterness
Feeling regret and resentment in the aftermath
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Expressing a willingness to support if understanding how
Had I known how to save a life
Regret for not knowing how to save the friendship
Let him know that you know best
Suggesting authority or knowledge about what's best
'Cause after all you do know best
Emphasizing the speaker's understanding of the situation
Try to slip past his defence
Attempting to bypass the person's defenses
Without granting innocence
Acknowledging the absence of innocence in the situation
Lay down a list of what is wrong
List of perceived faults and issues in the relationship
The things you've told him all along
Reiterating concerns previously communicated
Pray to God, he hears you
Seeking divine intervention or guidance
And pray to God, he hears you
Repetition of the plea for divine assistance
And where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Recurrence of reflection on the mistake leading to the loss
Somewhere along in the bitterness
Deepening bitterness and regret over the friendship's demise
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Expressing a hypothetical commitment to staying up and supporting
Had I known how to save a life
Regret for not knowing the key to saving the relationship
As he begins to raise his voice
Change in tone, indicating a shift in the conversation
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Advising to lower one's voice, giving the person a final choice
Drive until you lose the road
Suggesting drastic decisions or disconnection from the past
Or break with the ones you've followed
Choosing to break away from familiar paths and connections
He will do one of two things
Anticipating possible responses from the other person
He will admit to everything
Speculating that the person might confess or acknowledge fault
Or he'll say he's just not the same
Considering the possibility of the person changing
And you'll begin to wonder why you came
Reflecting on the decision to be in this difficult situation
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Reiteration of the question about where things went wrong
Somewhere along in the bitterness
Intensifying bitterness and reflecting on the consequences
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Reaffirming the willingness to stay and support if possible
Had I known how to save a life
Regret for not knowing the method to salvage the relationship
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Repeating the lament over the loss of a friendship
Somewhere along in the bitterness
Deepening bitterness and reflection on the past
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Expressing the hypothetical commitment to support through the night
Had I known how to save a life
Final regret for not knowing how to save the friendship
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