"Drops of Jupiter" Meaning

Trying to keep long term relationships, is like trying to stop breathing forever-impossible. No matter how hard someone tries, it will eventually come to an end. In “Drops of Jupiter” a ballad by Train, the artist writes about a girl who has left him to find herself somewhere else in the world. After she comes back, he begins to ask if she had found anything better and what she thinks now. However, he soon realizes that he is better off without her, and leaves her to fend for herself. In this ballad, the artist uses an array of literary elements to tell the story of a relationship that goes from reunion to the aftermath after secrets begin to resurface. Often, when you leave someone looking for change, it is likely that a change in actions is bound to occur. For example, after she comes back to him he realizes “now that she’s back in the atmosphere with drops of Jupiter in her hair, she acts like summer and walks like rain reminds me that there is time to change.” This illustrates that the atmosphere means she is back in his life. Now, he can see that she has been other places, because her whole look and actions have changed. Furthermore, since she has seen the world, the artist states, “I’m afraid that she might think of me as Plain ol’ Jane told a story about a man who was to afraid to fly so he never did land.” Since she is with him again, she might think he is boring compared to everyone else. He was too afraid to leave his world and join her and therefore to afraid to land. Coming to the realization that she has changed, the artist is afraid that she doesn’t view him in the same light as she did before she left. Although she has come back to him, the artist is still questioning her as to what her experience was, and wondering if she is still faithful. Initially, as curiosity kicks in, the artist begins to ask her questions, “but tell me did you sail across the sun? Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded and that heaven is overrated?”