I think that the song is just talking about the importance of love. Each verse mentions people who seem bitter and have forgotten about love, are down and out in some way, life isn't the best for them. The chorus urges each of them to love again, to find that last glimmer of hope that they have lost somehow. The last verse - 'So put a candle in the window and a kiss upon his lips...' is saying not to give up on love, even if your loved one goes away you can still love them and have hope that you will be together again. Lovers are often described as flames, so if you keep a candle burning for someone (metaphorically) you don't stop loving them and live in hope that they will one day return to you. Perhaps the message of the song is also not be afraid to love. At some point you have to stop wishing and hoping and actually go after that which you love. It's time to love, to pull yourself out of the slump that you're in.
I think that the song is just talking about the importance of love. Each verse mentions people who seem bitter and have forgotten about love, are down and out in some way, life isn't the best for them. The chorus urges each of them to love again, to find that last glimmer of hope that they have lost somehow. The last verse - 'So put a candle in the window and a kiss upon his lips...' is saying not to give up on love, even if your loved one goes away you can still love them and have hope that you will be together again. Lovers are often described as flames, so if you keep a candle burning for someone (metaphorically) you don't stop loving them and live in hope that they will one day return to you. Perhaps the message of the song is also not be afraid to love. At some point you have to stop wishing and hoping and actually go after that which you love. It's time to love, to pull yourself out of the slump that you're in.