First impressions: Rob Thomas is singing about someone who's sad about something...and it's not him! Glad to see he's branching out at least a little bit.
Apparently, someone (I'll assume it's a girl, but he never says so I don't know...) is sad. It seems that it is our job to figure out what she's so sad about. She is sad about something which can be started over, and which causes her must anxiety and sadness inside. Brainstorm: computer trouble, writing a newspaper column, writing your thesis for grad school, doing a jigsaw puzzle, playing a game of Spider Solitaire on 4 suits, watching Forest Gump and trying not to cry (Jennay!!). The list goes on, but this seems like a decent list to start with.
In order to find out the source of the woman's anxiety, we need to analyze what we know of her distress. It is something that can be figured out, and would thus end any doubt. If figured out, it would make their lives better. It seems whatever this is is driving a wedge between Rob and his lady friend. The weird piece is "maybe someday we'll live our lives out loud." On the surface, this would mean his ladyfriend is mute, and someday will regain her voice. But on a deeper level, it means that they would openly share their emotions with eachother. But Robby is even deeper. So deep in fact, that he really does mean she is mute. He knows that you think you know what he is thinking, so he goes one more level and fools you. Only an intimate knowledge of Rob's psyche (Which I have purchased on eBay for just such an occasion) would reveal this. So we know now that at this point he is talking about a mute woman who's muteness needs to be solved that she can express her emotions which are riddling her with frustration.
At this point, we can't tell if her muteness is voluntary or induced by some yet-to-be-cured disease. He says that someday they'll figure it out, put an end to doubt, and make things better. This could refer to finding a cure to her incurable muteness. He then pleads with her to change her mind, indicating she can speak, but chooses not to. He also says he wants her to tell him, give it to him straight and slow. Looking past the obvious sexual tone of this line, we can see that she can talk, but chooses not to. He just wants to start over, again indicating she could at one point talk to him. This could mean that he knew her before, when she did talk, and now has reconnected with her, but she refuses to speak.
I think it's obvious by now that Rob is in love with a mime, but has found out that hand gestures are not enough to say I Love You. He wants to know that she loves him, and "put an end to all his doubt," but he can't be sure without words. He is apparently unaware that actions speak louder than words, and signing "I love you" would be better. Given that he knew her before, I am speculating that Rob has always loved her, and could only now tell her how he felt. In a sad, Hollywood-esque turn of events, though, she (who has always loved him too) is now unable to tell him that she loves him. A topsy-turvy roller coaster of a tale of lovers, never able to be together, all told through song. I have no words but bravo, Mr Thomas. Bravo
Note: We know she is a mime because If she was taking a vow of silence, Rob would understand and mention this aspect of her muteness. According to his Wikipedia, Thomas is an active advocate for many causes, and thus would be accepting to someone's crusade. He would not besmirch her reputation by making her out to be a cold, heartless, voluntarily mute person.
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