Love the song, this one and the Fleecing are my favorites from Achilles Heel.
I agree with the general sense of Envelopes' interpretation, but I think there is a religious metaphor in the sacrifice of one's body parts. The "certain tales of bravery" the narrator recalls are about Jesus sacrificing his own life to save the world. The narrator has been "spared the hard part" - he doesn't have to willingly sacrifice anything of his own. All he has to do is live by Jesus' message. But this proves hard for him to do, and he feels inadequate for failing at such a comparatively simple task.
Love the song, this one and the Fleecing are my favorites from Achilles Heel.
I agree with the general sense of Envelopes' interpretation, but I think there is a religious metaphor in the sacrifice of one's body parts. The "certain tales of bravery" the narrator recalls are about Jesus sacrificing his own life to save the world. The narrator has been "spared the hard part" - he doesn't have to willingly sacrifice anything of his own. All he has to do is live by Jesus' message. But this proves hard for him to do, and he feels inadequate for failing at such a comparatively simple task.