To me the song is all a big metaphor for recovering from alcoholism/another addiction; and spiritual enlightenment from doing so. The main reason fot this belief is 'now I've only habits left to break' - his addiction.
The refrain ' I know it's easier to walk away, than look it in the eye' - i think he may be saying, it's easier to avoid the problem of addiction than to admit the problem and deal with it. He says 'The shadow I've been hiding in has fled from me today' - he is coming to the realisation of his problem, his mind is no longer in the dark to it.
He says 'but I will raise a shelter to the sky, and here beneath this star tonight I'll lie' - to me , this means that he will allow his mind to think over his problem so that he may deal with it.
I believe all the angel/dancing/light imagery is all to do with the feelings of enlightenment he is experiencing as he recovers from his addiction. However, he has not yet fully recovered, as shown by 'I've only habits left to break... tonight I'll stil be lying here surrounded in all the light'
and I think the 'I know it's easier to walk away, than look it in the eye... but I had given all that I can take' bit may be about, he's tired of ignoring the problem, and giving away his life - perhaps, this means his happiness, perhaps his family, who knows; and now he is going to face the problem and work on it.
All down to interpretation of course but after thinking about it, these are my ideas!
To me the song is all a big metaphor for recovering from alcoholism/another addiction; and spiritual enlightenment from doing so. The main reason fot this belief is 'now I've only habits left to break' - his addiction.
The refrain ' I know it's easier to walk away, than look it in the eye' - i think he may be saying, it's easier to avoid the problem of addiction than to admit the problem and deal with it. He says 'The shadow I've been hiding in has fled from me today' - he is coming to the realisation of his problem, his mind is no longer in the dark to it.
He says 'but I will raise a shelter to the sky, and here beneath this star tonight I'll lie' - to me , this means that he will allow his mind to think over his problem so that he may deal with it.
I believe all the angel/dancing/light imagery is all to do with the feelings of enlightenment he is experiencing as he recovers from his addiction. However, he has not yet fully recovered, as shown by 'I've only habits left to break... tonight I'll stil be lying here surrounded in all the light'
and I think the 'I know it's easier to walk away, than look it in the eye... but I had given all that I can take' bit may be about, he's tired of ignoring the problem, and giving away his life - perhaps, this means his happiness, perhaps his family, who knows; and now he is going to face the problem and work on it.
All down to interpretation of course but after thinking about it, these are my ideas!