my interpretation of half the world away - a thread

“if you were a good friend, you’d always be there when i need it”

this person isn’t always there for them when he needs them

“cause i’m on my knees and babe i’m bleeding and it kills me that you’re not around”

he’s begging this person to stay with him, but they’re gone and he can’t bear it

“so you’re not my girlfriend, don’t pretend that makes us nothing”

imo, this line is about how to the media, the only thing that matters is having a girlfriend, he’s saying just bc they aren’t his girlfriend doesn’t mean their relationship doesn’t mean anything

“tell me you don’t miss this feeling”

he’s asking this person if they miss what they had like he does & how happy they made him

“i’m starting to see who you are”

the longer that he’s with or around this person, he sees who they truly are

“cause there’s a time, there’s a place”

he can only be with this person at certain times, they can’t be together all the time

“and i’m always gonna hear your name”

he’s always thinking of this person even if he isn’t always with them

“there’s a right, there’s a wrong and now i see that all along i messed up, you’ll be fine”

society believes that certain things are “right” and “wrong” and maybe alludes to his relationship being wrong. he’s done something to upset them but he believes that they don’t need him

“i’m gonna sleep alone tonight”

i believe he either is being forced to be without this person or they’ve left him, & he blames himself

“never gonna be the same, cause you’re half the world away”

he isn’t the same person when he’s without them bc they’re metaphorically and physically so far away

“a story you’d heard. now you rest everything on these 3 words”

this person has heard something about him, most likely in a negative light, & now they are relying on him saying 3 words, maybe i love you, that make or break their decision of their relationship

“now i’ll walk to you til my feet hurt”

he’s willing to do anything to be with this person

“so tell me that’s not good enough”

this person thinks that he isn’t doing enough for their relationship, so he’s trying to tell them he would do anything for them & they can’t tell him that’s not enough

“and i started drinking, i don’t know half of what i’m thinking”

he’s trying to use alcohol as a distraction from all of his issues, he doesn’t understand his feelings on the issue

“i’m deep in, i’m scared i’ll stop breathing”

he is so invested in this person that he’s worried he couldn’t bear to live without them

“we’ve started to lose who we are”

i think this goes back to the media perception, they’re having to pretend to be like someone else and so they have started to get lost in it & are starting to lose who they actually are

“i want you around round round, are we going down down down?”

he repeats this numerous times bc he desperately needs to be around this person & can’t live without them. he’s scared he’s losing them and wants reassurance that they’re okay

overall, i believe the song is about how he desperately wants & needs to be with this person, he isn’t the same without them, but their relationship is complicated. the person seems so far away to him now and he’s terrified he’s losing them and just wants them to be together

- end of thread