To me, this song came off as a song about unrequited love with understanding of rejection.
"You left it, I sent it;
I want it back."
The love interest disregarded the singer's affection and love, and he could only continue to share it with them. The love interest's constant cold shoulder towards his feelings make him wish he could take it back.
"If I had you here, I'd clip your wings, snap you up, and leave you sprawling on my pin."
If he could have the love interest for his own, he would be less than willing to let them leave him to wallow in his affections, he'd continue to share them with the love interest for as long as they were bound to him.
"This plan of mine is oh so very lame. Can't you see the grass is greener where it rains?"
Nevertheless, it's an idealistically lofty idea, one that would never come to fruition; however, that is the tragedy of unrequited love; it's part of the disaster of never having who you want that makes you inclined to thinking of such ideas, feeding off of the misery because it's the closest company you have. Hence "can't you see the grass is greener when it rains?"
"You left, I died; I went and you cried. You came, I think, but I never really know."
From here, I feel that it speaks in more of a wishful-thinking manner. Just as he hurts seeing the love interest leave, be it permanently or even to just go home and such, he wished they hurt just as much when he parted from them briefly, or even follow him. But he could only be so sure of even his own imagination because their lack of response leaves him confused either way.
"I've served my time. I've watched you climb the wrong incline, but what do I know?"
Often with unrequited love, you feel that the romantically-involved decisions the person you pine for are wrong because they're not with/towards you. But he realizes he knows no better just because he wishes for different.
"Accept it, don't let it; turn the screw. Accept it, and let it scream back at you."
He wants his love interest to take his affection for what it is, he doesn't want them to drive him crazy or let his screws come loose because they keep shrugging it off. He wants them to accept what he feels, and drown in it.
"Now, this applies equally, to you and I; the only thing we share is the same sky."
The two shared nothing but the air they breathe and the ground they walk on; he understands this. I almost feel like there's a tinge of hurt and resentment in his voice when he says this.
"These empty metaphors, they're all in vain; like 'Can't you see the grass is greener where it rains?'"
This line depends on how you interpret and read it; I personally saw it as him scoffing at himself for how he tries to put his feelings into something poignant to attract the person or make them inclined to understand/feeling the way he feels.
"In the garden, Snake was a charmin'. And Eve said 'Let's give it a try.'
Now, lead us not into temptation, but no matter how hard I try, when in the garden and Snake is a charmin' and Eve says "Let's give it a try.", Eve is the apple of my eye."
Another idea of wishful thinking, with cleverly written personification. Temptation to be with the love interest drives him mad no matter how much he tries to stray from it.
Now, Eve could either be interpreted as the love interest finally wanting to pursue the things the singer wishes to, or he could be interpreting himself and how he deals with his feelings as Eve, since he is the one entranced by the love interest/snake, and he wants to try to get somewhere with them, almost wishing the love-interest was like Eve. "Eve is the apple of my eye."
"And I lie behind you, and I cradle you in the palm of me, and I pat your hair down.
I think, 'Will we sink, or swim?'" 'Cause we could do either on a whim."
I feel like this stanza explains itself; he could be with this love interest sharing what seems like a romantic moment that isn't exactly meant to be conveyed as such. But he wonders to himself whether or not they could take a step further or take a step back, because they're only moments away from both.
A beautifully tragic song, I have never grown tired of it.
To me, this song came off as a song about unrequited love with understanding of rejection.
"You left it, I sent it; I want it back." The love interest disregarded the singer's affection and love, and he could only continue to share it with them. The love interest's constant cold shoulder towards his feelings make him wish he could take it back.
"If I had you here, I'd clip your wings, snap you up, and leave you sprawling on my pin." If he could have the love interest for his own, he would be less than willing to let them leave him to wallow in his affections, he'd continue to share them with the love interest for as long as they were bound to him.
"This plan of mine is oh so very lame. Can't you see the grass is greener where it rains?" Nevertheless, it's an idealistically lofty idea, one that would never come to fruition; however, that is the tragedy of unrequited love; it's part of the disaster of never having who you want that makes you inclined to thinking of such ideas, feeding off of the misery because it's the closest company you have. Hence "can't you see the grass is greener when it rains?"
"You left, I died; I went and you cried. You came, I think, but I never really know." From here, I feel that it speaks in more of a wishful-thinking manner. Just as he hurts seeing the love interest leave, be it permanently or even to just go home and such, he wished they hurt just as much when he parted from them briefly, or even follow him. But he could only be so sure of even his own imagination because their lack of response leaves him confused either way.
"I've served my time. I've watched you climb the wrong incline, but what do I know?" Often with unrequited love, you feel that the romantically-involved decisions the person you pine for are wrong because they're not with/towards you. But he realizes he knows no better just because he wishes for different.
"Accept it, don't let it; turn the screw. Accept it, and let it scream back at you."
He wants his love interest to take his affection for what it is, he doesn't want them to drive him crazy or let his screws come loose because they keep shrugging it off. He wants them to accept what he feels, and drown in it.
"Now, this applies equally, to you and I; the only thing we share is the same sky." The two shared nothing but the air they breathe and the ground they walk on; he understands this. I almost feel like there's a tinge of hurt and resentment in his voice when he says this.
"These empty metaphors, they're all in vain; like 'Can't you see the grass is greener where it rains?'" This line depends on how you interpret and read it; I personally saw it as him scoffing at himself for how he tries to put his feelings into something poignant to attract the person or make them inclined to understand/feeling the way he feels.
"In the garden, Snake was a charmin'. And Eve said 'Let's give it a try.' Now, lead us not into temptation, but no matter how hard I try, when in the garden and Snake is a charmin' and Eve says "Let's give it a try.", Eve is the apple of my eye." Another idea of wishful thinking, with cleverly written personification. Temptation to be with the love interest drives him mad no matter how much he tries to stray from it.
Now, Eve could either be interpreted as the love interest finally wanting to pursue the things the singer wishes to, or he could be interpreting himself and how he deals with his feelings as Eve, since he is the one entranced by the love interest/snake, and he wants to try to get somewhere with them, almost wishing the love-interest was like Eve. "Eve is the apple of my eye."
"And I lie behind you, and I cradle you in the palm of me, and I pat your hair down. I think, 'Will we sink, or swim?'" 'Cause we could do either on a whim." I feel like this stanza explains itself; he could be with this love interest sharing what seems like a romantic moment that isn't exactly meant to be conveyed as such. But he wonders to himself whether or not they could take a step further or take a step back, because they're only moments away from both.
A beautifully tragic song, I have never grown tired of it.