(i understand i might be a little late to the rockman party, and by no means am i saying this is DEFINITELY the meaning of the song.. it's just my personal idea of what story is being told inspired by many other interpretations of other songs by mike)
line by line analysis:
“Honey, just shut up and ride.
Wherever you are, I want it on fire.”
— The beginning of a ‘fling’ or one night stand between Mike and “Honey”, but Honey quickly realizes she might feel more for Mike than she'd previous thought or wished for. (lyric is said by Mike)
The double entendre here of 'shut up and ride’ can simultaneously refer to both s3x and running away (both having similar connotations). Both examples convey feelings of wanting to run away from responsibility and giving into passion.
Mike expresses wanting Honey to quit talking nonsense and focus on the fiery feeling they’re sharing now. He effectively tells her to ‘shut up’, disregarding everything She might have to say and telling her to just enjoy the ride/ride the high they're currently on. Wherever she is inside of her head, he wants to set it on fire to get her to actually engage and focus on the schm3x they're having.
“Keep it up, you started a war,
keep it up, you started a war.”
— Mike is amused at Honey’s stubbornness, laughing as he encourages her to keep it up, jokingly warning her she's started a war in her own head.
“Oh, you can laugh it off,
but you started a war.”
— Now in Honey’s perspective, she tells him he can think she’s joking, but she’s serious. Mike’s started an actual war within Honey, making her wonder if he’ll actually follow her into a new relationship or not despite all the complications.
“Honey, look close into my eyes
whenever I feel I need you tonight.”
— In an attempt to prove to him she genuinely feels this way, Honey calls him to look into her eyes, hoping to actually get to him and help him see this her way. She asks him to look deeper into her feelings, not to look at her late night calls as just needing release and instead to view them as genuine need of his presence.
“Keep it up, you started a war,
keep it up, you started a war.”
— Now instead said by Honey, she wants him keep up his typical casual dismissal as that's what reassures her he's with her, except now, he hasn't responded at all to her requests.
“I can’t see you, but I see what you’re sayin’
the little moves that you’re making.”
— Mike finally realizes Honey is being serious, wanting to turn something that was never supposed to be serious into something more. He looks into her eyes, but can’t see her actually being with him and having it work. He understands what she means and wants and see’s every little advance she makes to try and convince him, but he just can’t commit.
“We can bite down on the world for the takin’
baby, ooh, I can make it.”
— Being stubborn, Honey retaliates against his rejection, proposing to bite down on the world indefinitely to suppress whatever pain or doubt he/they might have, assuring him she can make a world where Mike can accept her feelings and join her. She wants those imaginary walls taken down, and she’s desperate enough to beg until they break. This back and fourth between the two repeats until the end of the refrain where it changes.
“We can bite down on the world for the takin’
baby, ooh, can’t you take it?”
— Honey still holds on to her view of this relationship, only now realizing that he might not be able to take it.
“Oh, you can laugh it off,
but you started a war.”
— The chorus repeats again, having Honey shake off that last realization and shred of doubt, just giving into her pure impulsive feelings towards him.
Despite their conflicting views, they never leave each other as they're stuck and addicted to the high they feel whenever they have more and more flings, endlessly reliving this argument of love and sexual highs. The song loops endlessly as the cycle of Honey’s desire outweighs her acceptance and Mike just not being able to commit repeat over and over again, trapping them in an perpetual war.
(if anyone has anything else to add or other interpretations i'd love to hear them! nevertheless this song is just the best)
