Just one step away from learning that with a little self-esteem and confidence they can remain true to who they are, pull themselves out of their rut and liberate their life from the tyranny of their mind. Trying to break free and live their dreams, while desperately looking for somebody, anybody to help them out of their hole usually with disastrous results. Another reason it is perfect for our time is because many highly intelligent people in our society are in the same torturous boat as him. It is filled with the beautiful sadness mixed with the feeling a longing for the apparently out of reach that has made many rock songs great (The chorus with the background vocals is just amazing intense).

I personally think this is one of the greatest rock songs of our time. At least, he realizes the fact that he could use somebody like this, many jaded, broken people don't even get that far. He is just to jaded to think it a possibility. Too bad he doesn't realize that this woman could probably use him just the way he is. At the end, he learns he cannot change who he is as a jaded artist, because that is just who he is and it is also probably a key factor in him making great art. So, he uses this as impetus to change himself and become more than just a poet and musician in hopes that she'll take notice and be able to use him to. He figures that he could use somebody like this to liberate himself, but his self-esteem is so low and he so stuck in his shell of what he is, he doesn't think she would use him.

He sees or meets this girl who has the knowledge and the ability to speak her mind in a very liberating way, but also has the capacity to let go of the serious things and self-actualize her dreams and desires ('Countless lovers undercover of the street'). He wants to break free of his seriousness artistic shell so he can let go ('Waging war to shake the poet and the beat') and have fun with the 'painted faces' that are out of reach. I think the song is about him being jaded ('Looking down on all I see') artist somewhat stuck in a rut of being jaded and miserable.

Kings of leon use somebody lyrics