I disagree with most comments here, I think it is a deeply personal song.
He lists up obviously displaced things and people ("killed bird at your fathers feet", "widower in private hell", "black child in crumbling school", "epic poem on yellow page").
These are things we can all relate to, so they seem to be in the right place, but are actually there because of bad circumstances.
The real message comes through only a few lines "the gold around your finger, the silver in his hair".
In line of view of all the other displaced things he obviously thinks that the marriage is also displaced, maybe she is a lost lover or something.
"I'm staying here", "why don't you leave me here?"
And she does not need him any more, although he wants to stay.
About "the world requires no audience, no witnesses" I beliebe he is saying that there is no reason to be anywhere just because of the world. The only reason to be somewhere is because of other people.
It seems like a deeply depressing song to me, listing up things that go wrong in this world, feeling unwanted and having to leave, but with no place to go to, because no place matters, only people, loved ones. And the only reason for him to stay is getting married and wants him to leave.
I disagree with most comments here, I think it is a deeply personal song.
He lists up obviously displaced things and people ("killed bird at your fathers feet", "widower in private hell", "black child in crumbling school", "epic poem on yellow page"). These are things we can all relate to, so they seem to be in the right place, but are actually there because of bad circumstances.
The real message comes through only a few lines "the gold around your finger, the silver in his hair". In line of view of all the other displaced things he obviously thinks that the marriage is also displaced, maybe she is a lost lover or something.
"I'm staying here", "why don't you leave me here?" And she does not need him any more, although he wants to stay.
About "the world requires no audience, no witnesses" I beliebe he is saying that there is no reason to be anywhere just because of the world. The only reason to be somewhere is because of other people.
It seems like a deeply depressing song to me, listing up things that go wrong in this world, feeling unwanted and having to leave, but with no place to go to, because no place matters, only people, loved ones. And the only reason for him to stay is getting married and wants him to leave.