Mother

The speaker repeatedly asks his mother to decide whether the world is dangerous and how he should respond to it. His questions range from public fears, such as war and government, to private worries about love. The soothing replies sound protective, but they gradually reveal a relationship that may keep him dependent rather than help him grow.

The “wall” suggests a barrier between the speaker and the outside world. His mother promises to keep him “under her wing,” an image of shelter, yet she also says she will not let him fly: care becomes a form of control. Checking his girlfriends and tracking where he goes extend that control into his adult life. The “nightmares” are especially unsettling because she promises not merely to calm his fears but to pass her own fears on to him.

The song can be heard as a criticism of overprotective parenting, but it also leaves room for sympathy: the mother may be trying to keep her child safe, even as her anxiety limits him. The final question about whether the wall needed to be so high sounds like doubt about the cost of this protection. It may refer to the emotional distance the speaker has built, though the lyrics do not define the wall in only one way.