Here's a summary of the song's meaning:
- The lyrics depict a situation where one person in a relationship has lost their romantic spark, and their heart can no longer reciprocate or give anything more to the other person. This emotional distance creates heartache for both parties involved.
- The refrain "Dead Hearts Do Dirty Things" expresses how people with broken hearts, filled with pain and grief, are liable to make poor decisions affecting everyone involved. It conveys the destructive impact of a failed relationship on those trapped in the situation.
- The song portrays a bleak vision of how love can turn from something wonderful to cold and desolate. The imagery used describes frozen rivers and winter, symbolizing the numbness and emptiness that lingers after experiencing deep emotional loss.
- The repeated lines "And now there's just the sound of me crying in your car/In that cold, hard place on our own and the stars/So close we couldn't see them" paint a vivid picture of loneliness and emotional disconnection, even when physically close to another person.
- Throughout the song, the vocalist conveys feelings of confusion, frustration, and searching for an explanation for why the relationship ultimately failed. There's a sense of helplessness in the face of lost love and the knowledge that it can turn even good people bitter.
Overall, "Dead Hearts" captures the heartache, grief, and complexity of emotions that come with the painful aftermath of an ended relationship. It explores the notion of "dead hearts" as a metaphor for individuals struggling to process their unresolved and damaged emotional state.