Meaning of "It Coulda Been Me" by Social Distortion

The lyrics of "It Coulda Been Me" by Social Distortion delve into the theme of fate and the randomness of life's outcomes. The narrator contemplates the precariousness of life by observing the situations of his friends who are in dire circumstances, such as being in jail, deceased, or affected by addiction. Despite the struggles of those around him, he acknowledges that those outcomes were just the way things were supposed to be and that he himself could have easily been in similar predicaments. The song serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and how little control we have over the paths we take, leaving the listener with a sense of introspection and humility.