We Are Young

Give me a second, I
I need to get my story straight
My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State—He is in shock from something, trying to piece together what all just happened so he and his friends are trying to forget by getting escape from alcohol.
My lover she’s waiting for me just across the bar
My seat’s been taken by some sunglasses asking bout a scar, and—He’s mixing up parts of the story in his head, repeating it to himself wrong because of the alcohol and drugs.
I know I gave it to you months ago
I know you’re trying to forget—He remembers what happened now. He gave her his heart, his love. But she refused and turned him down. But still, he refers to her as “lover”, meaning he hasn’t gotten over it yet, so the declaration of his love for her must’ve been a short while ago.
But between the drinks and subtle things—He’s saying that there’s a bigger purpose for him and her being together at a bar at the same time, and that there’s something they have to talk about. Something else she has to know.
The holes in my apologies, you know
I’m trying hard to take it back—He’s saying now that his apologies were weak because he is still so desperate for her. Hence the term “holes” meaning lies. But he’s assuring her that he’s still trying really hard to get over her.
So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I’ll carry you home—He saying now, that whenever she is down though, he’ll be there for her. No matter what. That when “the bar closes” which really means “by the time stupidity closes or ends”,  because a bar is full of drugs and alcohol, a place where everything is foggy and intentions are unclear, which is what stupidity basically is: Unclear to purpose and realization... So when realization hits her that she actually loves him (not the other guys that declared love to her) he will be there for her to love her back.

Tonight
We are young—They are young; meaning free, stupid and able to make mistakes.
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun—He’s saying that in youth everyone makes mistakes, no one can be perfect, otherwise mistakes wouldn’t happen; and that it wasn’t his fault for loving her, and not her fault for not, and that they should embrace their mistakes. Or at least  embrace them before they grow old and start to regret them. Then he says to “set the world on fire”, meaning that they should “burn” or shrivel their mistakes to nothing, so the actual definition of mistakes means nothing (because mistakes are good and eventually turn to purposeful actions later on in life). And since they are mistakes themselves, they should burn as well; hence the sentence “We can burn brighter than the sun.” They would also burn the brightest because they embrace the flames, attracting more and more, and they are young, so they can do anything they desire.

Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun—He repeats this to enhance the meaning, because this is the first part of his new apology. One without any holes.

Now I know that I’m not
All that you got—He knows that he can never compare to the other people who have declared love to her. He knows that she is the most beautiful of them all.
I guess that I, I just thought
Maybe we could find new ways to fall apart—He stutters, getting nervous about his “apology” which is now turning into yet another declaration of love.
But our friends are back—Life resumes suddenly, and he stops his “apology” for a minute, because his friends don’t know of his love for her as they return from the bathroom.
So let’s raise a cup
‘Cause I found someone to carry me home—Now he’s disguising his words now that his friends are back. He is raising his glass because now he himself has finally admitted that he will never get over her that she will always be his, even if he is not hers. Admittance is the most important point in his “apology” so maybe his admitting it out loud finally convinced himself. The “carry me home” part of the sentence means something that is also not explicit. And now that he has admitted to an undying love for her, he can start to be more independent. He knows that she will not fall for him so he can carry her, so he carries himself home because it is only reality. His dream is love between her and himself, and reality is independence between him and himself.
Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun—He is still admitting that it is okay to make mistakes. Maybe it’s a mistake for loving her, so what? He doesn’t mind. It’s what he wants, and that’s what’s important.

Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

Carry me home tonight
Just carry me home tonight
Carry me home tonight
Just carry me home tonight—He is repeating this to himself so he knows that it is the right thing to do. It’s almost like he’s saying “I’m almost there, be independent! Almost there, almost there. I can do this. It’s better than forgetting her forever. Be independent. My home will be my comfort. Relaxing, soothing, peaceful. Almost there.“
The moon is not on my side—The dark part is showing, meaning that it is a bad sign. That it’s trying to tell him that this is the dark part of love: Bad love. Bad move. It’s a sign saying that he should forget her altogether, not to be independent.
I have no reason to run—But now he’s saying he can carry himself with maturity (even though he’s young) and pride. So he can show that he is not weak with heartbreak. Now he is reassuring himself with some hope of independence.
So will someone come and carry me home tonight—But then he battles himself again, saying that he needs help with his heartbreak, a new lover.
The angels never arrived—His hopes are still down, the angels, like cupid, did not show up to shoot them into love like he possibly imagined.
But I can hear the choir—But then, he suddenly hears or sense that the song of love is coming to him, that maybe the love arrows are somewhere in the near future.
So will someone come and carry me home—But patience is a virtue. Something that young people lack (since he’s young) and he gets impatient for the arrows to come so he can carry his lover home and she can carry him. So his hopes for independence is gone again.

Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun

Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter than the sun—He again repeats it, so the message will live on. And so he can convince himself once again that he should be independent. Not to forget her. It succeeds in the end…

So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I’ll carry you home tonight –He’s continuing on with his “apology” to her now. He’s hinting that if she ever needs him, or more specifically loves him, he will be waiting independently, and patiently. He will be waiting for her to fall for him so he can catch her and carry her home. Which will then be their home…