The song "Desperado" by Molly Hatchet is an emotional plea to a person who has been living a hard and solitary life, represented by the metaphor of "riding fences." The song's speaker, who addresses the person as "desperado," urges them to take a step back and reassess their choices before it's too late.

In the lyrics, the speaker warns the person not to chase after the wrong things, using the metaphor of drawing the queen of diamonds in a card game. They suggest that the person has been pursuing pleasures that may ultimately hurt them.

The track also touches upon themes of aging and the realization that one's solitary freedom has become a prison. The idea of being alone and disconnected from the world is expressed through lines like "Your prison is walking through this world all alone" and "It's hard to tell the nighttime from the day."

The song's chorus reinforces the plea to the person to come to their senses and let someone love them before it's too late. The overall message is a warning that one's chase for freedom and independence might lead to a lonely and unfulfilled life, and that it's better to let love in and not hold onto unnecessary fences.