Stuck Between Stations
The Hold Steady Lyrics

There are nights when I think Sal Paradise was right.
Sometimes, I wonder if Sal Paradise (from Jack Kerouac's On the Road) was correct in describing the sad state of relationships between boys and girls in America.

Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together.
American youth face difficulty when it comes to forming meaningful relationships with each other.

Sucking off each other at demonstrations, making sure their makeup's straight, crushing one another with colossal expectations. Dependent, undisciplined, and sleeping late.
Sometimes, the youth of America suffer from the pressure of performing for each other, instilled with a sense of dependency, lack of discipline or focus, and low morale.

She was a really cool kisser and she wasn't all that strict of a Christian. She was a damn good dancer but she wasn't all that great of a girlfriend. She likes the warm feeling but she's tired of all the dehydration. Most nights are crystal clear, but tonight it's like it's stuck between stations on the radio.
The artist describes an imperfect relationship where his girlfriend enjoyed physical intimacy, dancing, and the allure of alcohol but wanted more emotional connection. He compares the vague feeling between two radio stations to the state of their relationship.

The devil and John Berryman took a walk together. They ended up on Washington, talking to the river. He said 'I've surrounded myself with doctors and deep thinkers. But big heads with soft bodies make for lousy lovers.' There was that night that we thought John Berryman could fly, but he didn't, so he died. She said 'You're pretty good with words, but words won't save your life.' And they didn't. So he died.
The line describes a conversation between John Berryman and the devil, where the former realizes the value of enjoying life and love, rather than succumbing to overthinking and intellectual pursuits. The artist also cites an incident where Berryman attempted to fly, resulting in his death. A woman warned the artist that his wit wouldn't always protect him from the dangers of life.

He was drunk and exhausted, but he was critically acclaimed and respected. He loved the Golden Gophers but he hated all the drawn-out winters. He likes the warm feeling but he's tired of all the dehydration. Most nights were kind of fuzzy, but that last night he had total retention.
Describing the life of some respected man, but the singer notes the conflict between the love of his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, and the cold Minnesotan winter that follows. Additionally, he noted the pain of dehydration, especially after an evening of drinking, and the rarity of being lucid enough to remember anything entirely.

These Twin Cities kisses sound like clicks and hisses. We all tumbled down and drowned in the Mississippi River.
The romantic encounters in Twin Cities seem cheap, meaningless, and even false. The ominous imagery of drowning in the Mississippi suggests a deeper symbolism around the difficulties found in romantic relationships.

We drink, we dry up, then we crumble to dust.
The human experience is defined by various stages, from drinking and enjoyment to deteriorating health and eventually death.