I'm in line with ra1234. The song is about coming to terms with growing up, and the consequences of all that.
Specifically to John, but more generally to all the rest of us, it means that no matter who you are, there comes a point where you have to realize that you are an adult, and as scary as it is, or as much as you feel like you aren't ready for it, it's time to start acting like one and making decisions like one.
This means accepting yourself, flaws and all, jadedness in all its glory, ("I cheat the light to check my face. It's slightly harder than last year.") realizing that you've adjusted your goals and dreams as life has taken over ("I still go dreams, they're not the same. They don't fly as high as the used to.") and lost the person that you swore you would be or used to be, ("I saw my friend, he's in my head, and he said, "You don't remember me do you?").
All this can get overwhelming and seem to pile on if you let it. ("All at once it gets hard to take").
But as John usually does, he leaves on an upbeat tone... Sure, things aren't the way you planned. But nobody else's are, really. We can lean on our support systems, ("I call on both of my brothers") family and friends, and no matter what you think has gone wrong or right, you are where you are, and you "still got time" to make peace with how things are, to step up to the plate and be who you were always meant to be ("Show your face to the morning"), not who you THOUGHT you were meant to be.
I'm in line with ra1234. The song is about coming to terms with growing up, and the consequences of all that.
Specifically to John, but more generally to all the rest of us, it means that no matter who you are, there comes a point where you have to realize that you are an adult, and as scary as it is, or as much as you feel like you aren't ready for it, it's time to start acting like one and making decisions like one.
This means accepting yourself, flaws and all, jadedness in all its glory, ("I cheat the light to check my face. It's slightly harder than last year.") realizing that you've adjusted your goals and dreams as life has taken over ("I still go dreams, they're not the same. They don't fly as high as the used to.") and lost the person that you swore you would be or used to be, ("I saw my friend, he's in my head, and he said, "You don't remember me do you?").
All this can get overwhelming and seem to pile on if you let it. ("All at once it gets hard to take").
But as John usually does, he leaves on an upbeat tone... Sure, things aren't the way you planned. But nobody else's are, really. We can lean on our support systems, ("I call on both of my brothers") family and friends, and no matter what you think has gone wrong or right, you are where you are, and you "still got time" to make peace with how things are, to step up to the plate and be who you were always meant to be ("Show your face to the morning"), not who you THOUGHT you were meant to be.