As with most songs, no one can agree on the intended meaning. Therefore, I can only assume that, again, as with most songs, it's freely open to interpretation.
When I hear this song, it reminds me of my own (thankfully former) situation. I was jobless for an extended period of time, really down and out (that's when I created this account; note my user ID). I was incredibly depressed and hopeless, nearly suicidal at times.
My wife stuck with me though, in a situation where many spouses would have called it quits. That's "the gift". All the other lines become obvious in this context, particularly the ones that mention shame, which was abundant for me at the time.
As with most songs, no one can agree on the intended meaning. Therefore, I can only assume that, again, as with most songs, it's freely open to interpretation.
When I hear this song, it reminds me of my own (thankfully former) situation. I was jobless for an extended period of time, really down and out (that's when I created this account; note my user ID). I was incredibly depressed and hopeless, nearly suicidal at times.
My wife stuck with me though, in a situation where many spouses would have called it quits. That's "the gift". All the other lines become obvious in this context, particularly the ones that mention shame, which was abundant for me at the time.