What does How to Save a Life mean?

The Fray: How to Save a Life Meaning

Album cover for How to Save a Life album cover

Song Released: 2006


How to Save a Life Lyrics

Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear...

  1. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Oct 11th 2006 !⃝

    I like the concept the last person was able to draw from the song, because I have just gone through that exact depiction. Granted, with music there are endless possibilities of interpretations, that's the beauty of opinion.

  2. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Oct 10th 2006 !⃝

    I totally feel the drug thing...

  3. chelsy
    click a star to vote
    Oct 10th 2006 !⃝

    I think this song is about a F'd up relationship. Someone is afraid of confronting the other, because he/she knows that the other is not willing to listen. The person initiating the confrontation knows how much the relationship means or could mean to both of them, but somehow the other person has lost sight of the fact or maybe has never acknowledged the fact to begin with. When they talk about one going left and one going right, I think it means one is thinking about what would be lost and the other is ignoring the very existance or never acknowledged it to begin with. He/she fears the pain or makes it easier on theirselves by placing blame...Tough decision and they wonder why they bothered at all, because it seems to be a lose-lose situation. I think the 2nd verse talks about the someone getting defensive about the things the other one is concerned about. The concerned one gets pissed, but knows (or thinks) staying calm is the best way to get the closed door to open. She/he has to choose to put up with the bull shit or break away from it even though it's hard. He/she lays down the list of what they are feeling and if there is no response...They know they did what they could. The other person either comes out with it and admits their own faults or they remain silent, because they don't see what will be lost.
    When two people are extremely close they form a life together; he/she could have saved that life if they would have known how to reach the other...

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Oct 6th 2006 !⃝

    I heard that this song is about the conflicts isaac had with his brother after his brother returned from time spent in europe. Apparently they grew apart while he was away, and isaac wasn't sure how they could get over it.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 22nd 2006 !⃝

    It's about a girl that wants to tell a guy about certain things in they're relationship, the guy has no idea they're going on, and dosent really want to listen, but she really needs to talk about it.

    They brake up, and instead of leaving they're relationship as friends, one of them destroys the chance of friendship.

    She tells him that he has to stop whatever he's doing "break with the ones you followed", the conversation gets no where and she wonders why she even bothers.

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 20th 2006 !⃝

    This song was actually writen to describe the feeling of being questioned by a police detective following the discovery of a good friend who died....

    The lyrics try to depict the uselessness of being involved in such a terrible event...And how it could have been diferent had someone been willing to help...

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 13th 2006 !⃝

    A worried person confronting his friend about the friend's serious drug problems.

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 12th 2006 !⃝

    I thought this was that someone was bringing problems with a bad relationship to the other person...That they were breaking up with them and telling them they "need to talk"..."lost a friend"...That can be deemed that when you lose a mate you lose a friend...

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 6th 2006 !⃝

    This song really reminds me of my dad and how he chose drugs over me. I did try to talk to him about it, but he still chooses what he does and his life now over his little girl, but that's just me..... This song sounds like it can mean anything to anybody. But really, issac wrote it about a friend that was in need for help because he was on drugs.... Idk.... Like I said that's just me. :]

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 7th 2006 !⃝

    Its about someone who lost a friend to suicide or drugs and not knowing how to talk to the person when they knew something was wrong. Now feeling regret that he didn't do anything.

  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 14th 2006 !⃝

    This song, the way I saw it, was that the person singing knew someone who had some sort of problem, like drugs or something, and got hurt because of it, now he feels like he could have done something about it. I may be wrong, I may be right.

  12. TheBurnoutKid
    click a star to vote
    May 2nd 2006 !⃝

    This song is about the attempt to have an intervention with one of the lead singer's good friends who was addicted to illicit drugs.




More The Fray songs »


 


Latest Articles

 


Submit Your Interpretation

[ want a different song? ]




Just Posted

Chasin' You anonymous
Sand In My Boots anonymous
Bitch's Brew anonymous
Baby, Oh No anonymous
Hard to Say I'm Sorry anonymous
Sound Effects and Over Dramatics anonymous
WYD Now anonymous
I Started A Joke anonymous
Cinnamon Girl anonymous
Devil Doesn't Bargain anonymous
I'm an Albatraoz anonymous
Ocean Breathes Salty anonymous
Right Where It Belongs HECKFRICKER
Monster anonymous
Seasons in the Sun anonymous

(We won't give out your email)