It is also a metaphor for personal growth and the idea that perhaps it is impossible to grow or evolve beyond certain events or mentalities due to the fact that humans or the song writer haven't yet evolved beyond them.
The song is also an attempt to persuade a certain listener to push hard to grown and understand their own mistakes and shortcomings. The Jungian "shadow" is an excellent example of the idea that we all have to live with both the good and bad in the world and within ourselves. This type of persuasion is accomplished through both the lyrics as well as the meter and tone of the music itself. The music is building, churning, and seems to have an almost mechanical beat which gives credence to the idea that over time, hard work and repetition make the difference between success and failure. The crescendo during the chorus serves to both emphasize and cement the idea that people's own personal evolution...
The preconceived perceptions that the listener brings, whether positive or negative, tend to either enhance or take away from the song's powerful message. Also, as discussed previously, the language or dialect barrier exists where some listeners are not able to understand the concepts incorporated into the lyrics. Information overload, as discussed in the presentation about communicating also has role to play in the song. The lyrics often contain messages and ideas that are not readily apparent the first time the listener tunes into the song. It is often beneficial for the listener to review the song or listen to it multiple times to truly understand what the lyrics are saying and to help read between the lines so to speak.
