Extreme – Hole Hearted lyrics

At face value, this song is a metaphorical song about relationship - a love song, possibly grieving over a lost love who "left a hole in his heart." But, the play-on-words of "hole-hearted/whole-hearted" implies a double - or hidden - higher meaning. This song may reflect a universal/spiritual/philosophical message, challenging the notion that happiness is achieved through "doing" ("Life's ambition occupies my time, Priorities confuse the mind, Happiness one step behind") and the egocentrism our culture often promotes ("Rivers flow into the sea yet even the sea is not so full of me") The message is one of humility by the author(s) ("If I'm not blind, why can't I see?") It suggests that the hole in our hearts can only be filled by God. From an Existential viewpoint, we all are in search of that feeling of completeness through validation and purpose - usually from other human beings ("This inner peace I've yet to find"). Yet on some deep level, perhaps that void can only be filled with the validation and love of our Creator. The Grace and Love that Our Creator offers us is not conditional upon any behaviors we do or don't do ("Should have known from the start I'd fall short with the things I do". "And this hole in my heart can't be filled with the things I do"). As a society, we tend to try to fill that hole with relationships, careers, material things, food, drink, entertainment, but find it does not satisfy that deep spiritual hole in our hearts when we disconnect ourselves from our loving Creator ("...why can't I see that a circle can't fit where a square should be?"). That grapple with the meaning and purpose of life is so universal to most human beings, and this song resonates with most of us because of that need for meaning in our hearts ("Day by day less satisfied, Not fade away before I die"). When that heart does not get filled completely and wholly by Him, it results in despair ("This heart of stone is where I hide, These feet of clay left warm inside.") Musically, the song plays with a lot of transition-type chords and unresolved dissonances in the beginning to add to that sense of something missing. The accompaniment of the guitars helps depict an internal bantering and struggle. Quite an amazing song indeed!