be scared for your own sake now that you’ve seen how tough life can be

Beware. You’re becoming the person who broke you, me.

See how sometimes a kid might be so proud of themselves when they make a mess. They even announce it to their parents thinking that they’ll get commended not aware of the mess they’ve made

The character’s boldness, almost being personified in this line, causes them to live a solitary life because their loved ones have been pushed away as a result of their stubborn personality.

Consider expanding upon the this short explanation. Feel free to provide an abbreviated summary for brevity’s sake. However, do not shy away from providing the few paragraphs as an annotation. Especially if they can provide more context and meaning to the verse. In the in end, that is what genius is all about.

To build on from this, he wasted his grace on his image, how others perceived him instead of his character

Also just to note, this is most likely a reference to the Lion from the Wizard of Oz

An alternative interpretation could be that the “scores” which you are attempting to “settle” will never be settled because your current mental state prevents you from it. You will always find something wrong or something else to fight about due to your pride getting in the way of clear judgement.

Saying “I’m sorry” is not the same as “I’m sorry I fucked up”. Profanity here is used to express strong regret and self-admonishment.

The use of strong profanity expresses the depth of depravity.

This part is saying that you have problems in your head, but don’t try wasting everything else you have trying to solve all of your problems.

The kid, due to the parent’s problems, keeps blaming things on themself and ‘making their own problems’ aka depression and stuff like that

A lion raking is it slashing something with it’s claws, in this case the little lion man himself.

There’s a Swahili proverb “Asiye funzwa na mamae hufunzwa na ulimwengu” roughly translates to “Whomsoever is not taught (disciplined) by their mother will be taught (disciplined) by the world. So he’s urging his younger arrogant self to learn from the mum or have a rough life

yes and no. The biting your own neck metaphor is a common phrase referring to arguing with oneself. I think you got the mother line, though. If he doesn’t learn from his mother and learn the childhood lessons he’s been told his whole life, he’s not going to get anywhere and just end up in a cycle of arguing with himself pointlessly.

I interpret this line as learning to stay away from dangers like your mother taught you or else you will hurt yourself trying to get away, almost like an animal caught in a trap. May not be correct, but it’s a fun way to see it.

IMHO, this line simply continues the theme of the song, the pains of growing up.

Here, he’s learnt that he is not always right. He understands lecturings from Mom were actually out of just wanting the best for her little boy.

However, he’s at the moment where he understands what he needs to do in order to move forward. However, knowing versus actually doing the right thing are very different things.

Will he listen and learn?

Heres what I think (That is completely different from everyone elses) It could mean that his mother was as arrogant and prideful as this person in the song. Learn from your mothers mistakes or else continue to argue with your self.

Male lions bite the necks of female lions when having sex with them. So for a lion to be ‘biting its own neck’ would be a euphemism for f*cking yourself (over).

Nicely put. In addition this line conjures up the image of a man literally trying to bite his own neck and that might appear like an uncomfortable man making awkward excuses. Try it. Think about searching for the right apologies as you do it and the line is even more “biting” in this regard.

It’s not really close at all :(
To bite ones own neck is to argue with oneself, showing that you must learn to find the balance within yourself or else you will spend your life at war with yourself.

Yeah, what is he learning from his mother?

I think the first analysis was spot on. What would arguing with yourself even have to do with your mother.

You cried freely and unashamedly as a baby. Older, you’re no longer brave enough to give into yourself and live yourself.

You cried freely and unashamedly as a baby. You’re not brave enough to give into yourself and live yourself anymore.

In terms of a relationship the lion Man was confident and cocky brave at the beginning

I think the name “Little Lion Man” may be the key to understanding the lyrics of this song.
Given Mumford’s Christian heritage I think it is fair to look at it from a perspective that perhaps may reflect this.

Bear with me for a moment.
I don’t know how linguistically correct this statement is… but it has been said that the name “Christian” can mean “Little Christ”.
Also Christians (after being “saved”) desire to live more in the way that Christ lived on earth, therefore becoming imitators of Christ or in a sense “little Christs”.

A quick look at the book of Revelation from the Bible to see where the “Lion” part comes from:
“And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."”
‭‭(Revelation‬ ‭5:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬)
This is a reference to Jesus Christ who is both a descended from Judah and David. Here Jesus , a man, is called a lion, hence a Lion Man.

Therefore to be a follower of Jesus Christ could be said to be a “little lion man”.

I believe the song is about a Christian’s struggles against the sinful desires in themselves. Specifically Mumford’s struggles.

“For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭7:22-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Little Lion Man” appears to be a retelling in dramatic monologue form of Chretien de Troyes' Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, which is the story of a knight who goes mad after betraying a promise to his wife to return to her.

Additionally, “little lion man” implies a small stature or cowardice, while “lion man” sounds similar to “lying man”

I still think “Little Lion Man” is about Tyrion Lannister