She's got all my dreams The opening introduces a girl that the singer knows/loves, and then
I've got these broken things
And they always disagree
But if there's one real thing you
would choose to believe
Just don't lose your faith in me
She's got broken things where
her heart should be
And I keep rolling them over in
my head
Make my voice brand new
I'll give it all to you
And I'll never speak again
Lord, I've been trading places
with the ghost in me
And it's starting to make me sick
But if there's one real thing I
could choose to believe
Just a little hope would do the
trick
(A little hope would do the trick)
She's got broken things where
her heart should be
But I can tell there are moments
when I'm really getting through
the singer himself. He speaks highly of the girl, claiming that she
has his dreams, whether intentionally or forcefully; then he speaks
lowly of himself, saying that all he has are some "broken things."
The singer mentions that there is tension between him and this girl,
but doesn't show the audience what they're disagreeing about.
This line leads to the belief that they have never been lovers, but are
instead close as friends and have been for a while. All the singer
wishes are for this girl, no matter how broken, to believe in him.
At this point, the singer finally tells the audience the truth: This girl
he is talking about is heartbroken. From who, he doesn't say, but we
are lead to believe that it isn't him, and he is trying to help/fix her.
This simple line expresses the singer's most inner feelings about the
girl, as he mentions that he is always thinking about her and her
situation. He cares about her a lot, to the point of true love.
This stanza is an offering to the girl, as the singer mentions his
voice. Whether that be for more confidence to stand up for herself,
or for the chance to speak without hesitation, it is a grand gesture.
More abstract than the rest of the song, which takes an allusive
though quite a literal stance on love and a girl's decisions through
hard times, the singer speaks to a God above. He mentions a ghost,
which could be his mentality or spirit, and that he's trading places
with it. That could mean that he hasn't felt human, which would
explain the feeling of being ill or upset. Perhaps he feels this way
because he can't get what he wants from this girl, or because she is
in a bad place in her life and cannot escape.
Though this section sounds as though he is talking about himself,
that some hope would be good for him, I believe that he is restating
what he said in the beginning: Whoever this girl just needs to trust
him, and everything will seem a little less dim.
Here, the singer is just reinforcing the thought to allow the audience
to dwell on the meaning and eventually pull together the conclusion
that whoever this girl is, he loves, and he would do anything for.
And maybe he is hoping for something more between them, or
simply for whoever this girl is to be okay.
The singer again repeats the first line of the second paragraph, but
this time he mentions that he may be getting through to this girl.
Perhaps she's finally listening and or taking his advice.
 Make my voice brand new
I'll give it all to you
And I'll never speak again
She'll be in magazines
With all her fancy things
And all the boys will dream
If you think this was easy
You're wrong.
Oh, oh, oh
And now it's time
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh)
Let me see a smile
Let me see it.
Oh, oh, oh.
Oh, oh, oh.
She's got broken things where
her heart should be
And I keep rolling it over in my
head
If your heart is true then I'll be
with you
Cause it's you that I adore
And we both know I loved you
more
Reiterating the point that he would give his voice and probably most
everything else to this girl, he promises her the most powerful
device anyone in this world has: Their voice.
Finally, the singer stops speaking in the present but instead gazes
towards the future. He doesn't guess or suggest that this girl he cares
so much about will be famous- he knows it will happen. And he is
certain there will be other guys to fawn over her and her "broken
things."
Although he just told the audience that this girl would be in a better
place in due time, he promises that the struggle and journey were
painful. He doesn't wish to downplay what it took for him and the
girl he loves to get to where they want to be. I believe he speaks
directly to the audience in this part to nail down the fact that they
cannot make assumptions about this girl and her life, and they have
to believe that she went through some awful experiences before
being healed.
In this line, the singer decides he is done waiting. Perhaps he is tired
of waiting on the girl to love him back or for these terrible times
she's going through to be over.
Here, he reveals his true intentions in the purest form: He just wants
this girl to be happy. He wants her to feel unbroken and be in a
better place in her life.
For the third time, the singer tells the audience that this girl has
"broken things" and at this point, perhaps some have made the
assumption that she can never love again because of these things.
But the hopeless romantic will never stop thinking about her, and
most likely, hoping that she'll recover from her heartbreak.
Wrapping up, the singer no longer wishes to talk to the audience,
but the girl herself. He tells her that if she wants him, he'll be here
for her because there is no one else for him.
In a beautiful finale, he finally reveals what has been holding him
back the entire time: He loves her more than she loves him. That
could mean hundreds of different things, but only the fact that this
mystery girl must make the final decision is clear, and he hopes
more than anything that it is the right one. But based on the rest of
the song, I have full faith that this singer would be alongside this
girl wherever she ends up, no matter what she chooses.