In her reply, her friend realizes she might have become a housewife "anchored down in Anchorage" but still dreaming about her childhood in Texas with her good friend Michelle, who went on to an exciting life as a musician and a "skateboard punk rocker in New York". This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. As a young feminist, she left Texas to travel, Kerouac-style, and was caught up in Reagan-era grassroots politics.

Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through.

People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But the best part of the song to me is when she sings "Leroy says hello" and her voice goes high on the first syllable.

Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.