I can think of two meanings for the song.

Meaning #1: This guy is having sex with a girl, and he just can't 'last'. They keep trying, and they're both getting quite frusterated.

Meaning #2: The second part to these lyrics make me think that his lover is mentally ill, and this is him telling her to get help.

I <3 this song, whatever it means. :)

I can think of two meanings for the song.

Meaning #1: This guy is having sex with a girl, and he just can't 'last'. They keep trying, and they're both getting quite frusterated.

Meaning #2: The second part to these lyrics make me think that his lover is mentally ill, and this is him telling her to get help.

I <3 this song, whatever it means. :)

I got no idea what this song means, im suprised it hasnt had more posts. I am diggin this song, its reall retro-ish. Go Snow Patrol !!!

I got no idea what this song means, im suprised it hasnt had more posts. I am diggin this song, its reall retro-ish. Go Snow Patrol !!!

YEAH!!! Lithium is damn right! im surprised...disgraced... OUTRAGED :P that this song hasnt got more posts, i cant get enough of it! its great. sweet insanity's got a good idea on it i reckon, the only thing i wanting to add being that it may also be about this guy trying to get this absolutely amazin girl who everyone else is tryin to get but when he finally gets there shes not what he thought, and shes the one who needs help having him???

I took it as a guy chasing this girl - he 'won't last it' if he's not with her, but she's not ready for a relationship with him or something. I though the whole 'lick your own wounds thing' was that she got pregnant. Or something.
To be honest I can't really concentrate on the lyrics with this song.

Not really sure, I just think it's a cool song.

I think its about a man who's with this woman who's just a bit too perfect (can do no wrong) He can't keep up with her and how wonderful she is. she'd never sink to his level and suffer a bit with him like normal people. She's a pain cos shes so perfect but he can't help loving her. A brilliant end to a brilliatn album!

Cheesejester's got the right idea.

A bit about making the same mistake twice as well:

"With a second chance I'd mess it up again
But I'd do it worse than before
Cos I've learned so much more"

Makes me think how you are ment to learn from your mistakes, and how the second time it's even worse as he's learnt so much more, yet still does it....if you follow me!

yeah i just wanted to add to my bit before (thanks to Strainy's comment) that that verse:

"With a second chance I'd mess it up again
But I'd do it worse than before
Cos I've learned so much more"

could be that, afterwards even though this girl isnt everything he though, he reckons that if given another chance, he'd still do what he did in the first place coz the girl seemed so damn perfect

Why does everyone think every S.P. song has got to have something to do wiv relationships?

This song sounds different to the rest. That's probably why it's a bonus track.

Half the fun of it is that I can't keep up
And I lose my breath and what's worse
Is I don't think I'm the first
(He knows she's had relationships like this before, with boys chasing after her, and her being somewhat hard to get. But he likes the freedom about her.)

Anywhere you like, you can do no wrong
Please just give me five minutes dear
Let's just pray it's not near
(To him, she is perfect. But he seems to keep messing up and he doesn't know how to explain it.)

Stay forever. I won't last it as I'll die trying
Will you suffer a little with me?
But you would never
(When the realtionships gets hard she just wants to quit, but he wants to be with her. So he asks her to "suffer a little" and she denies wanting to try again.)

With a second chance I'd mess it up again
But I'd do it worse than before
Cos I've learned so much more
(They get together again after the break up, this the second chance, but the same thing happens and things get hard because she finds him imperfect.)

About the way we fertilise the roses
That were bought to show us how much you care
Now it's easier to care
(He thinks that she's too gift-giving-oriented and bases on showing her love through gifts. He keeps messing up because he isn't getting her stuff. He wants to show her that they can have love without material items, and just them.)

Getting past this. You have to take it.
I will wait here
Please believe me, just stop running
Say you'll get help
(Obviously she has some sort of problem and he finds out about it, wanting to help her. She runs from it, in denial even though he says he still loves her and will wait for her no matter what.)

I caught the last flight, I had to see you
It can't wait longer
He's not your father, just a doctor
So lick your own wounds
(Kind of a tough love comment. Although he loves her and cares for her and wants to see her, he tells her she's being too dependent on her psychiatrist and needs to learn how to take care of herself.)

Just my view.

WHY is this song only on the bonus tracks bit? it should have been on the actual album-y bit!!

Also, "He's not your father, just a doctor, so lick your own wounds". Looking at the situation from the outside, maybe? She can't rely on him to be there all the time, even though this is what a "perfect" boyfriend is meant to do, and she has to learn to take care of herself and not to emotionally "dump" herself upon him.

Half the fun of it is that I can't keep up
And I lose my breath

I think the girl he is involved with is into sex, drugs and drink. really rock n roll stuff, and it was fun to be with her but now the consequences (hangovers, injuries, abuse, pregnancies) have come through to him,and he wants out

and what's worse
Is I don't think I'm the first

He thinks many of the girls lovers felt this way, and thats why she has so many.

Anywhere you like, you can do no wrong
Please just give me five minutes dear

I think he is letting her have sex with her, and he doesn't like it. He admires her, but she is too fast and flighty for him

Let's just pray it's not near

he doesnt want to enjoy this, he doesnt want to get pleasure from having sex with her because he fears he'll be sucked into her vortex again, and have to deal with hangovers, etc

Stay forever. I won't last it as I'll die trying

the girl is probably living with him, and if he tells her to move out she'll have no place to go. He doesnt have the heart to tell her to move out anyway.
he doesnt think he'll last being with her, her having sex with him and him trying not to enjoy it.

Will you suffer a little with me?
But you would never

he has to look after her when she has a hangover, or is sick, injured or pregnant.
she is so detached from reality that she doesnt seem to suffer

With a second chance I'd mess it up again
But I'd do it worse than before

he would mess it up on purpose as he hates this

Cos I've learned so much more

he's learnt that the person someone is after a few drinks and drugs isnt who the person really is

About the way we fertilise the roses
That were bought to show us how much you care
Now it's easier to care

I think he has succumbed, and now he is letting himself enjoy the sex. the rose is the girls sex, and every since hes surrendered its easier.

Getting past this. You have to take it.

the girls probably involved in some major crime, and is running from the consequences.
he says you have to take the blame.

I will wait here
Please believe me, just stop running
Say you'll get help

he says if she goes to rehab she'll get better and he'll wait for her until she comes out

I caught the last flight, I had to see you
It can't wait longer

abscence makes the heart grow fonder - as he struggled to remember the girl while she was at rehab he created this perfect image of her, that isnt who she is at all.

He's not your father, just a doctor
So lick your own wounds

shes involved with some one who dumbly supports this destructive relationship, entranced by her sexuality.
he's disgusted, and says a bf cant be expected to stcik it out through every fight, every hangover.

To me, this song is a back and forth conversation
Person one: Stay forever.
Person 2: I won't last it as I'll die trying
Person 1: Will you suffer a little with me?
person 2: But you would never

this is about a relationship which someone is in that one person [person 1] has a problem and person 2 is there for him/her but that person listening to the problem knows that the person with the problem wouldnt do the same in return

and the relationship is a waste because one person does so much while the other person only takes.

This song is a work of art. Relationship in ruins because girl is slightly coo-coo. Some songs of Snow Patrol's suggests Gary had a girlfriend which turned out to be slightly lets say...slow. Velocity Girl, Downhill from here, balsamic vingear, the last shot ringing in my ears and this...I dunno maybe.