"The Preacher loses face with Christ, religion's cruel device is gone" That is referring to a preacher who loses their faith, obviously. THe hold they had on followers drops, thus the "cruel device is gone." "Empty flesh and hollow bones make pacts of love but die alone" I believe this to mean that many people who don't know who they are themselves, thus they are empty flesh and hollow bones. They have no substance because they have refused to live for themselves, but instead for someone or something else, such as God. They make pacts of love- marriage, whatever- but die alone. When one doesn't live for themself, they cannot be happy, thus their pacts of love fail and they die alone. "The crucible of pain will forge, the blanks of sin begin again" The stuggle of pain causes us to "sin" again...it's a cycle? and then the last lovable, Randian line, "You are free to choose a life to live, or one that's left to lose!" oh so sweet! This is my favorite song on the album....but they are all fantastic. Up the Irons!
"The Preacher loses face with Christ, religion's cruel device is gone" That is referring to a preacher who loses their faith, obviously. THe hold they had on followers drops, thus the "cruel device is gone." "Empty flesh and hollow bones make pacts of love but die alone" I believe this to mean that many people who don't know who they are themselves, thus they are empty flesh and hollow bones. They have no substance because they have refused to live for themselves, but instead for someone or something else, such as God. They make pacts of love- marriage, whatever- but die alone. When one doesn't live for themself, they cannot be happy, thus their pacts of love fail and they die alone. "The crucible of pain will forge, the blanks of sin begin again" The stuggle of pain causes us to "sin" again...it's a cycle? and then the last lovable, Randian line, "You are free to choose a life to live, or one that's left to lose!" oh so sweet! This is my favorite song on the album....but they are all fantastic. Up the Irons!