Scenario A. This is about the narrator sleeping with someone who was in a relationship and then regretting it. She's since had to "burn that bridge" with the person. It was someone who she'd liked for a long time ("you can't choose who you love" - "some fantasies are never meant to be") who came on to her in a bar ("confessions in smoky bars"); they hooked up ("next thing you know you're just tangled and guilty") and now "these memories are talking and talking and I'll do anything to shut 'em up."
The lines "I know you didn't mean to let me down/but you let me down so hard" make me think that the narrator thought the person was going to leave her partner for the narrator, but didn't... also hence the ending: "oh and when did you leave me/and when did you find her/and tell me is this just what you wanted..." The "rats in the walls" is the affair. The bridge makes it sound like the person then blamed the narrator for the affair "well you can't just pass along/the pain that comes around" and went back to who she was with before. Although, "this is a story of forgiveness" so maybe the narrator has forgiven herself in the end.
Scenario B. This is about the narrator's sig. other cheating on her with someone else, and her sig. other has come and told her this story. This makes the "story of forgiveness" line mean she's forgiving the affair (perhaps after "burning bridges and allowing time to pass," afterwards she's "understanding/you can't choose who you love"). Then all the "memories" that "are talking and talking" are her imagining the scenario of her sig. other sleeping with this other woman, and it's her sig. other saying "you know nothing can happen" but still succumbing to being seduced by the other woman with "loaded glances ... vague advances ... in smoky bars." Hence "I know you didn't mean to let me down/but you let me down so hard." and also "oh and when did you leave me/and when did you find her/and tell me is this just what you wanted..." which would be the narrator talking to her sig. other. The affair is still "the rats in the walls."
I can see two scenarios for this song...
Scenario A. This is about the narrator sleeping with someone who was in a relationship and then regretting it. She's since had to "burn that bridge" with the person. It was someone who she'd liked for a long time ("you can't choose who you love" - "some fantasies are never meant to be") who came on to her in a bar ("confessions in smoky bars"); they hooked up ("next thing you know you're just tangled and guilty") and now "these memories are talking and talking and I'll do anything to shut 'em up."
The lines "I know you didn't mean to let me down/but you let me down so hard" make me think that the narrator thought the person was going to leave her partner for the narrator, but didn't... also hence the ending: "oh and when did you leave me/and when did you find her/and tell me is this just what you wanted..." The "rats in the walls" is the affair. The bridge makes it sound like the person then blamed the narrator for the affair "well you can't just pass along/the pain that comes around" and went back to who she was with before. Although, "this is a story of forgiveness" so maybe the narrator has forgiven herself in the end.
Scenario B. This is about the narrator's sig. other cheating on her with someone else, and her sig. other has come and told her this story. This makes the "story of forgiveness" line mean she's forgiving the affair (perhaps after "burning bridges and allowing time to pass," afterwards she's "understanding/you can't choose who you love"). Then all the "memories" that "are talking and talking" are her imagining the scenario of her sig. other sleeping with this other woman, and it's her sig. other saying "you know nothing can happen" but still succumbing to being seduced by the other woman with "loaded glances ... vague advances ... in smoky bars." Hence "I know you didn't mean to let me down/but you let me down so hard." and also "oh and when did you leave me/and when did you find her/and tell me is this just what you wanted..." which would be the narrator talking to her sig. other. The affair is still "the rats in the walls."
Neither makes perfect sense... any other ideas?