True meaning behind Drops of Jupiter by Train?

This song is about a girl/woman who left a man (possibly a boyfriend) with whom she was very close to at one point. She left thinking that there was more out there for her. While gone, she got caught up in the pretentious trends of the day (like tai-bo, soy lattes etc.) and got lost in it all. In the song the man rhetorically/sarcastically asks her if her mind was blown, if she was swept off her feet and how it felt to get there only to realize that it's not all that (that the "lights were faded" and it was "overrated"). However he loved her enough to let her know she needed to make these realizations on her own. Upon her return to the "atmosphere", he is still there for her. The theme is love's crazy effect on a man, and the tone is half-somber to jubilant mirth. It is a love song. I believe it is about a man talking about a woman with whom he was obviously in love with moments, but she has left him. I’m sure most people have been trough that, and then when she "grows up" or gets fed up with whatever she was doing, partying, working etc. He is obviously still hurt about her leaving and lashes back a bit with "Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star One without a permanent scar And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself". For me, Drops of Jupiter’s lyrics are a metaphor for the process I went through in learning what is precious in life and love, and in learning what is real. I spent a lot of time out of the atmosphere, falling for shooting stars, looking for myself... but in the end, all of the things that I thought would be heaven, were overrated. I love this song, and I think it is very inspirational. This is definatly a metaphor song

"Now that she's back in the atmosphere"

It means a girl that apparently went away and now she’s back in picture or memory.

"With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey"

very simple sentence. When you look at our solar system, our biggest planet is Jupiter. And its color is red. He’s (the poet) is referring to her hair color (drops of Jupiter. long hair reddish. Jupiter’s color.

"She acts like summer and walks like rain"

Her acting is dry as summer and when she walks she has that beautiful pose describing that love looks beautiful.

"Reminds me that there's time to change, hey, hey"

This refers that people change no matter what, we evolve and change.

"Since the return from her stay on the moon"

This is a metaphor. Referring to an amazing adventure.

This could be the girl he loves, left and came back. It could also be that she went to the city and simply came back.

"She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey"

Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring refers to the season, ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth also is the time were flowers are very colorful. So she is a good listener but when she talks, she’s dry as June when summer time begins.

"Tell me did you sail across the sun"

This is the guy asking her how was that adventure. Passing across the sun...

"Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded

And that heaven is overrated"

Let say we could travel all the way to the Milky Way constellation, all the lights from earth and our solar system will fade. This means that when she left to her adventure far away lights from were the guy was faded (referring to love fading away) but once she got to that place (the city) what she might thought it was exiting which refers to heaven is over populated, society, lots of people. But when she got to the city she was no different from any other.

"Tell me, did you fall from a shooting star"

When in love refers to shooting star is something speechless cause of the neutrality of a shooting star. He refers to this, as disappointment when she went to the city or the place she visited she might think it would've been different.

"One without a permanent scar"

No scar, no pain.

"And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there"

Asking her if she missed him when they were separtated.

"Now that she's back from that soul vacation"

this speaks for it self.

"Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey"

Tracing her new life.

"She checks out Mozart while she does tae-boo"

She likes to listen to classical music while she does aerobics, so she must be beautiful physicly.

"Reminds me that there's room to grow, hey, hey"

This means that if she can do it so can I(author of song)

"Now that she's back in the atmosphere"

Now that she’s back in the picture.

"I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain old' Jane

Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land"

This refers to an American saying plain old' Jane which means a girl that is plain, ordinary and not especially memorable or special.

"Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet"

This is he asking if she liked her adventure so bad that she was swepted off her feet.

"Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day”?

She finally had the chance to get to know other parts of the world and be happy about it and enjoy it

"And head back to the Milky Way"

Coming back to town, coming back home

"And tell me, did Venus blow your mind"

Adventure to another planet, refers to another place far away.

"Was it everything you wanted to find”?

If it was worth it?

"And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there"

Speaks for itself

"Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken”?

No love, no pride, and apparently in their town they use to eat deep-fried chicken while enjoying their romantic moment together. But since she left there’s nothing of that out of town.

"Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you're wrong"

Her best friend always sticking up for her even though she’s wrong. So apparently her BFF sticks her nose in their relationship.

"Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone

Conversation"

This refers as that first night they both danced, what they both felt. No romance and talking over the phone for 5hrs every day with him obviously.

"The best soy latte that you ever had, and me"

Refers to "she won’t have anything better than him. Is him telling her over the 5hr conversation which apparently she was having a great soy latte. He tells her that the soy latte and him are the only good things she will have in life.