Author: Emil Mogstad
As Aaron Jennings stated, it's (according to DT) up to the induvidual to make up it's own meaning of what the song is about. So, this is another personal analysis of what it could be about. My inspiration to this analysis mainly comes from the movie “Me, myself and Irene”, so maybe watching this movie makes it easier to understand.
Legend:
Person 1 "P1" - The Real guy ("Charlie")
Person 2 "P2" - The Fictiv Alter Ego ("Hank")
From my point of view, it's about a person who's mind is splittet (Scitzophrenia). However, the person feels somehow addicted to the other half of his mind, kind of like a fictiv alter ego.
Temptation-
Why won't you leave me alone?
Lurking Every Corner, everywhere I go
Self Control-
Don't turn your back on me now
When I need you the most
First he states that he want's P2 to go away, he bother's him, but then again, you have the denial of it. He somehow needs him to achieve something. But in any other way, he's a plague.
Constant pressure tests my will
My will or my won't
My Self Control escapes from me still...
He gets freaked out by it. His self control escapes from him. This person effects his life more and more.
Hypocrite-
How could you be so cruel
and expect my faith in return?
P2 does some bad thing to P1's life, but also good things (not necceseraly legal or etical correct things). So he feels like P2 is demanding his faith through the good things, but then again is cruel through all the not so good things he does.
Resistance-
Is not as hard as it seems
When you close the door
I spent so long trusting in you
I trust you forgot
Just when I thought I believed in you...
Saying it's not that hard for P1 to denie P2, but as P1 always tries to trust him, it becomes rather difficulty.
[Sample is Meryl Streep from the film "Falling In Love".]
"What're you doing?
What're you doing?"
It's time for me to deal
Becoming all too real
living in fear-
Why did you lie and pretend?
This has come to an end
I'll never trust you again
It's time you made your amends
Look in the mirror my friend
P1 want's to deal with his problem. He tries to stop trusting P2, becouse of his lies, his unethical deeds. He looks into the mirror and tries to se him, and him only. Not that bad person “staring” at him.
[Sample is Jeremy Irons from the film "Damage".]
"That I haven't behaved as I should"
[Sample is Mary Beth Hurt from the film "Light Sleeper".]
"Everything you need is around you. The only danger is inside you."
[Sample is Jeremy Irons from the film "Damage".]
"I thought you could control life, but it's not like that. There are things you can't control."
Let's stare the problem right in the eye
It's plagued me from coast to coast
He tries to seek help. The danger is inside him, and help is around him. Again he want's to deal with this problem, which has plagued him far too much.
Racing the clock to please everyone
All but the one who matters the most
Reflections of reality
are slowly coming into view
How in the hell could you possibly forgive me?
After all the hell I put you through
It's time for me to deal
Becoming all too real
living in fear-
Why'd I betray my friend?
Lying until the end
Living life so pretend
It's time to make my amends
I'll never hurt you again
This is the tricky bit, I try with two different endings:
Ending 1: P1 has finally managed to control his problem. He has made P2 give up, making P2 confess all the bad things he has done. Charlie manages to overcome the bad guy and rescues Irene.
Ending 2: P1 gives up his fight against P2. Realises that he need's this person, no matter what bad things he does against him. Charlie does what Irene says at the ends, goes back and gets Hank to fix the problem.
This was what I thought the song was about when I first heard it.
Thanks for reading, and please excuse my bad English.
