Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a picture of a strained relationship, possibly a cycle of leaving and returning. The opening lines, a tense exchange at a door, immediately establish a sense of finality: "No no, I've done that for the last time." Yet, the narrator's subsequent actions – waking early, packing up – suggest a lingering hope or perhaps a habitual pattern of departure, contradicting the initial declaration.
The core tension seems to lie in the narrator's anticipation of being missed versus the reality of their current communication. The repeated phrase "Think of what, you would be / And what we, could" hints at a potential future or a past ideal that remains unfulfilled. This is juxtaposed with the mundane act of "talkin' on the phone" and a question about giving "another man" a chance, suggesting a complex dynamic of desire, doubt, and perhaps infidelity or past hurts.
The most striking element is the sudden shift to an internal, almost philosophical observation: "Inside of everyone there are two little people arguing always / One of them is always teaching the other." This metaphor introduces a layer of internal conflict that might explain the external relationship's instability. It suggests that the narrator, or perhaps both individuals, are constantly battling their own impulses or perspectives, with one part trying to guide or rationalize the other's actions or feelings.
This lyrical structure, moving from a specific, almost confrontational scene to a generalized internal struggle, creates a powerful sense of unresolved emotional turmoil. The contrast between the external plea for entry and the internal dialogue about warring selves highlights the difficulty of genuine connection when internal divisions are so pronounced. The effectiveness lies in this raw portrayal of a relationship caught between a desire for reconciliation and the persistent, internal arguments that seem to sabotage it.