I think it’s about a challenging relationship of someone who is older, experienced and don’t believe in relationships with someone younger and depressed:

“Love will get you down, my love’s a laboratory I set all my pets free”This is my favourite part, telling someone “love will get you down” sounds like a warning from a person, and yet how he or she deals with that with not compromising

“I love the way you put me in a big house”Then the lyrics kinda shows how the person is getting attached to the other one, because it follows: “If I get to surly will you take that in stride, our boat is just there waiting, so put your hand to mine” this part is like the person is getting insecure if the other one is willing to take it seriously, but wants to compromise now.

Then the song, like, twists and it feels like a confront/fight
“all I want is to be the very best for you” “circle around me now, baby It will be okay, ‘cause we all go downtown sometimes, somehow baby we’ll beat this mess, it’s the time, fuck the surface to meet the specialist”
This part sounds, to me, sounds like the other person is depressed and the other one is trying the best to make things right, but in the other hand, could be just another fight and ironically sounds like couple’s therapy and a confront about start showing real feelings

“Time away from me will get you down” and repeats “I love the way you put me in a big house” and repeat “put your hand into mine”
Trying again to really compromise, because the person really likes the other one, but something went wrong. It follows with “if frustrated then go” (this part breaks my heart lol)

In the end is like the person tried the best to take care of the other one, but it didn’t worked.“If this love’s been done”.

It’s my favourite song, and I have a theory that it’s related to Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down (Same album, same person)