Featuring Nelly Furgado. Very emotional, a lot of regret, sadness, and even some bitterness.
Two lovers who are trying to save a sinking relationship, but they just couldn’t.

Let me hold you
For the last time
It's the last chance to feel again
But you broke me
Now I can't feel anything

When I love you
It's so untrue
I can't even convince myself
When I'm speaking
It's the voice of someone else

Oh it tears me up
I tried to hold on but it hurts too much
I tried to forgive but it's not enough
To make it all okay

You can't play our broken strings
You can't feel anything
That your heart don't want to feel
I can't tell you something that ain't real

Oh the truth hurts
And lie's worse
I can't like it anymore
And I love you a little less than before

Oh what are we doing
We are turning into dust
Playing house in the ruins of us

Running back through the fire
When there's nothing left to say
It's like chasing the very last train
When it's too late

Oh it tears me up
I tried to hold on but it hurts too much
I tried to forgive but it's not enough
To make it all okay

You can't play our broken strings
You can't feel anything
That your heart don't want to feel
I can't tell you something that ain't real

Oh the truth hurts
And lie's worse
I can't like it anymore
And I love you a little less than before

But we're running through the fire
When there's nothing left to say
It's like chasing the very last train
When we both know it's too late, too late.

You can't play our broken strings
You can't feel anything
That your heart don't want to feel
I can't tell you something that ain't real

Oh the truth hurts
And lie's worse
I can't like it anymore
And I love you a little less than before
Oh and I love you a little less than before

But we're running through the fire
When there's nothing left to say
It's like chasing the very last train
When we both know it's too late

You can't play our broken strings
You can't feel anything
That your heart don't want to feel
I can't tell you something that ain't real

Oh the truth hurts
And lie's worse
I can't like it anymore
And I love you a little less than before
Oh and I love you a little less than before

Let me hold you for the last time
It's the last chance to feel again

'Broken strings' is a metaphor for not being able to make a relationship work when something in it is broken; a metaphor for the struggles at the close of a relationship beyond repair and the heartache that realizing that and accepting it brings. Literally it means that you physically cannot play on broken strings, but figuratively you can't be in a relationship that has this much damage, it is impossible to make it work.

This is evident as both parties are clearly torn as to whether or not they should be ending this. They are still in love, but they know it can't work, which is a very painful place to be in.