Meaning of "Sucker's Prayer" by The Decemberists

The lyrics in "Sucker's Prayer" by The Decemberists delve into themes of longing for love, loneliness, and a sense of self-doubt. The speaker starts by expressing their unpreparedness for the journey of life and their dissatisfaction with the burdens they carry. In an act of desperation, they make a "sucker's prayer," akin to the poets Rimbaud and Baudelaire who sought divine intervention through writing. However, their prayer remains unanswered, symbolized by nobody responding. The speaker then engages in a futile act of self-destruction, stuffing rocks into their pockets and wading into a pond as a metaphorical way of drowning their sorrows. This highlights their yearning for connection and the pain of not being able to find it. The repeated refrain, "I wanna love somebody but I don't know how," underscores their feelings of longing and inability to establish a meaningful relationship. The plea for the listener to also make a "sucker's prayer" and leave it behind suggests a sense of resignation and acceptance of their own limitations when it comes to finding love. Overall, "Sucker's Prayer" explores the universal struggle of longing for love while feeling uncertain about how to achieve it.