Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a destructive, almost magnetic relationship. The "Accidental Missionary man" suggests someone who unintentionally causes harm, bleeding a "softhand" that is both gentle and damaging. The narrator is caught in a cycle, replaying interactions and feeling left "burning" by the other person's actions. There's a sense of powerlessness, a wish to escape a situation where every "Babble cowers" and "stupid thing you say" holds sway. The central tension lies in the narrator's conflicting feelings: being simultaneously drawn to and hurt by this person. The phrase "You make me over and over" implies a repetitive, almost obsessive dynamic, while "Though I was your power" hints at a past where the narrator might have held influence, now lost. The imagery of an "open coffin" to "bury a softhand" is stark, suggesting the finality of this person's destructive nature and the narrator's desire to put an end to it. The repeated use of "softhand" is the most striking element. It's a deliberate contradiction, a soft touch that nevertheless "pick 'em up and pick 'em out" and "shoot 'em up when you lead them down." This duality captures the manipulative and ultimately harmful way this person operates. The "softhand" is not a sign of tenderness but a tool for control and devastation, leaving the narrator in a perpetual state of being "left me burning."