Stranger than your sympathy
And this is my apology
I killed myself from the inside out
And all my fears have pushed you out
And I wished for things that I don't need
(all I wanted)
And what I chased won't set me free
(all I wanted)
And I get scared but I'm not crawlin' on my knees
Oh, yeah
Everything's all wrong, yeah
Everything's all wrong, yeah
Where the hell did I think I was?
And stranger than your sympathy
Take these things, so I don't feel
I'm killing myself from the inside out
And now my head's been filled with doubt [ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/g/goo_goo_dolls/sympathy.html ]
We're taught to lead the life you choose
(all I wanted)
You know your love's run out on you
(all I wanted)
And you can't see when all your dreams aren't coming true
Oh, yeah
It's easy to forget, yeah
When you choke on the regrets, yeah
Who the hell did I think I was?
And stranger than your sympathy
And all these thoughts you stole from me
And I'm not sure where I belong
And no where's home and no more wrong
And I was in love with things I tried to make you believe I was
And I wouldn't be the one to kneel before the dreams I wanted
And all the dark and all the lies were all the empty things disguised as me
Mmm, yeah
Stranger than your sympathy
Stranger than your sympathy
Mmm hmmm mmm
I think he's talking about becoming famous,and how it sort of changed him when he didn't really realize it"you can't see when all your dreams are coming true". Maybe he was in a relationship with a girl and it was hurting her how he was changing.
My theory on this song is that the writter is depressed or has watched somebody be depressed and has pushed everybody out of there lives and is appoligizing for pushing all that he loves away and destroying all of his dreams cause he thinks that he can't follow them, and to hide all of the numbness and destruction he feels inside, he hides it with a mask so nobody can see it. Only he feels it, and he regrets it, and he's sorry.
I think he is saying that he is sorry he ruined things with this girl because he pretended to be exactly what she wanted instead of exactly who he was. "and i was in love with the things i tried to make you believe i was... And all the dark and all the lies were all the empty things disguised as me. "