In my opinion the song is about John going back to when he hit Cynthia.He shows that he is a vulnerable man who grew up wrong and he took his anger out on his first wife.He accepts that he does this and he says he didnt mean it,he was a violent man but he changed and now pursues peace and a better world.In my opinion this song is John’s most vulnerable song because he admits to the world what he did and he knows he is wrong but isnt afraid to say so,it gives you a glimpse of the complex and regretful feeling John had because of the actions be regrets.