[mysacrifice411]

"To Whom It May Concern" has always been a hard one for me to figure out... the chorus especially. I've never heard anything about what this song means, and I'm probably way off of what Stapp intended with the lyrics. But, for what it's worth, I'll give you my take on it anyway.

I think this may actually be one of Creed's few relationship songs. I think it deals with the frustrations that come through some kind of relationships when you're afraid to commit. I can relate to this-- it can be scary and frustrating and infuriating when you're unable to decide whether to just open up your heart and tell all or just keep all of your feelings locked inside because of fear of perhaps how the other person could possibly not feel the same way you do. I'm probably not making sense. I'll go through the lyrics:

"Oh, I didn't mean to yell / But sometimes I get beside myself / And, oh, I didn't mean to rush you / But time keeps pushing so much / Oh time keeps pushing so much"

I think this deals with the frustration I was talking about, when you just want the commitment and relationship to start, but the other person may not feel the same way and seems to be developing feelings for you much more slowly. This can bring more fears and doubts to your mind, as "time keeps pushing so much" and you may lose your chances. Make sense?

"Your eyes stare at me in the dark / And I hope those eyes don't steal my freedom"

The chorus, I think, deals with the other extreme, when you're hesitant and, almost, afraid to try to take the relationship to another level, whether emotionally or physically. There is a battle inside, however, as your passions and desires clash with your patience and thought processes. If your cooler head doesn't prevail and your lusts cause you to act against what you truly want deep down inside, then, I think it's safe to say, your freedom has been stolen.

"Oh, if I didn't give it all / When I stood you made me crawl / And oh, if you never heard the song / Then I could still hide down behind the wall"

I think the first two lines here have to do with what happens when you're unable to commit to certain things, or "give it all." You want to stand, being ready for the relationship and all that comes with it, but because you "didn't give it all" or possibly you made a mistake, you're forced back down by the other person and forced to go back to "crawling," which could be the stages of the relationship you wanted to move on from. Shot down, in other words.

The next part of this verse has to do with the hesitant part of you that is afraid to unlock the feelings inside. This deals with a reaction you may have after you did something to let the person know how you feel, and some part of you, however small, is HOPING that somehow the other person "never heard the song," (or didn't find out how you feel about them) enabling you to "still hide down behind the wall" or keep the feelings locked up and not seem to stand out in any way to that person.

Wow, I took up a lot of space. I hope I made sense. I am not so great at putting my feelings into words. I would love to hear what you guys think of my interpretation. Thanks!