Hmm, I can only see this song in a marriage theme currently.

Where someone's telling him about his life, where the marriage is falling apart.

"You are so ungrateful, we're more like a house than a home."
A house can mean any place with a roof on top, but a home means a place you live with all the relations in it.

After which, the man himself starts talking to himself, saying all the things he could possibly say to the wife, but from how I see it he's like two person in one. To justify it, the lyrics:

"I work my hands right down to the bone
still you don't give me what I want.
You are so ungrateful,
we're more like a house than a home.
*Please dear understand,
*I'm sorry again for all that I said.
How could you leave?
*I swear that I'll be a better man.
*Well, go ahead and run, run, run
*from the man with the gun in his hand.
Darling I would shoot you before I would ever let you leave.
*Oh, dear God."
The lines with a * and without differentiates the two parts of him.

"I'm hollow because I know how to get this done
so I will be the only to follow,
to follow through with this."
One part of him is following the other that's taking control.

Other than that, nobody's perfect.
That's my best understanding to this song, for now. =]

this songs about a broken home, simple as that. I don't really know to much about the bands personal histories, but I'd say his parents fought alot, and one of them possibly ran out at one point, and the father was never around cuz he was always working.

amazing song overall, best part

run, run, run from the man with the gun in his hand!

hey mystichaze

to me it sounds more like a conversation between a husband and wife and the husband trying to justify why he works and ends up killing her... let me modify what you put down...

*I work my hands right down to the bone
still you don't give me what I want.

You are so ungrateful,
we're more like a house than a home.

*Please dear understand,
I'm sorry again for all that I said.

*How could you leave?

*I swear that I'll be a better man.
*Well, go ahead and run, run, run
*from the man with the gun in his hand.
Darling I would shoot you before I would ever let you leave.

Oh, dear God."
lines with a * are the husband

i think its along those lines, and then hes trying to keep his daughter from crying even though he did it... and then

so I will be the only to follow,
to follow through with this.

just shows that he did follow through with killing her...

I've always thought this whole album was a view of how society has become in such a horrble state. Like this one about marriage, and how many people end up divorced and in other songs they all talk about things and troubles in this society. I don't know if its personal as from their video many of these situations are made up. With the divorce rate and the rate of unhappy people who need something to live for. ie Christ.

well it makes sense if you dont see it as a conversation at all

its him talking to his wife because she is leaving him

the beging of the song is them when they are already split up

"You'll raise the daughter and she'll raise the son.(split custody of the kids)

You'll live like two people that wish they were one.( two people that wish they were still together)
She may not be perfect,
but oh my friend neither are you."

"You feel like you're waiting for somebody,
to remind you of all the things,
that you're supposed to do.
Careful what you reach for,
one more step and you're falling through."
(speaking to himself -- the things hes supposed to do meaning to make things right with his wife)

"Your family's a joke and your job is your life.
The time spent without them,
is time spent most every night.
Get your house in order,
'cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride."
(once again to himself--showing that they are splitting because he works to much and doesnt spend time with his family)

"I work my hands right down to the bone,
still you don't give me what I want.
You are so ungrateful,
we're more like a house than a home.
Please dear understand,
I'm sorry again for all that I said.
How could you leave?
I swear that I'll be a better man.
Well, go ahead and run, run, run,
from the man with the gun in his hand.
Darling I would shoot you before I would ever
let you leave.
Oh, dear God."
(simply what he is saying to his wife as she leaves)
saying that he works hard for the family and shes ungrateful
begging her not to leave and that if she stays he will be a better man

and then it explains the self conflict when he is killing her
"In a certain place I've kept my outs,
one for us both, two for my doubts,
I'm shaking.
I'm hollow because I know how to get this done
so I will be the only to follow,
to follow through with this."


and the last lines are him comforting his daughter because her mother is dead

modecode has it exactly. the verse in question by most people in this forum is JUST the husband talking to his wife. the wife isnt talking at all. and i like what modecode said for the first verse too. makes complete sense

Modecode ALMOST has it exactly right. The last stanza is the third-person omnipotent narrator talking to the father/killer. Truly a powerful song, nothing less is expected from Emery.