This song is about God. Period. Joel and Benji were raised in a Christian, if troubled, household, and I believe still are Christians today. Have they struggled keeping God's commands? Yes (and all of us too), but that is what this song is about, along with God's unending mercy, which is really the message of the New Testament.
LA, being a general hub for temptation, especially for stars, represents the world's temptations. The part about beautiful things losing their beauty represents how those temptations seem appealing at first, but eventually screw you over. The pre-chorus seems to throw out the idea that sin is disguised, perhaps referring to our culture's idolization of many sins, and then introduces his desire to follow the Lord. Though, if I'm right, it isn't very well worded (to my ears/eyes). To those thinking this is about suicide, since when can baptism represent its exact opposite, suicide? Suicide is taking life away, and baptism is new life in the Lord. The chorus is about how he's fallen into temptation but is sorry for it, and still loves and trusts the Lord and is willing to keep trying, the message I mentioned before. The prodigal son is a well known biblical reference, and the original parable was used to show our human nature to submit to temptation and turn our back on the Lord, and how he will always forgive us and welcome us back, a truth obviously relied on through the song. Though I'm far from sure, the M. Shadows verse might expand on the LA metaphor and the prodigal son idea, using it as loose advice for parents.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23-24
P.S. The song is 3:16 long, John 3:16 anyone?
