While death and space are valid interpretations, another possibility is that the song is about drugs. "Into the white" could refer to where your mind goes when you get so high that you lose your perception of reality. The space references then become a metaphor for getting really, really high, much as it does in David Bowie's "Space Odditiy". Remember, space is black, not white. "The big white" might then be cocaine, or just a blank mind, though "Deeper than your sleepyhead" might suggest depressants instead.
Another possible interpretation is that "the big white" is a mental institution. But I think it's the drugs.
While death and space are valid interpretations, another possibility is that the song is about drugs. "Into the white" could refer to where your mind goes when you get so high that you lose your perception of reality. The space references then become a metaphor for getting really, really high, much as it does in David Bowie's "Space Odditiy". Remember, space is black, not white. "The big white" might then be cocaine, or just a blank mind, though "Deeper than your sleepyhead" might suggest depressants instead.
Another possible interpretation is that "the big white" is a mental institution. But I think it's the drugs.