I think that this song is talking about a man in an affair. The line "I'd have carried your wedding shawl, you could have said I was a school friend" suggests that he is more than just a school friend to the woman who just got married. Instead of letting him take part in the ceremony, however, he was forced to be "outside the kingdom hall" "like a stranger." He has to act as if he doesn't know her, which suggests that any relationship between the two of them would be looked down on or forbidden, suggesting a separation of classes or social standings.
The line about the holy horse cart and the sun is alluding to Greek mythology, where the sun was pulled across the sky with a chariot. This symbolizes the passing of time, but since he sees her face in the sun (and probably everywhere else), he can't move on or forget about her.
When he talks about excavating down to find the two of them among the drowning and the drowned, that could mean two things. First, it could be saying that they are miserable because they can't be together, as miserable as the drowning. Second, and this seems more likely, the drowning could refer to the river Styx in Hades, furthering a common Greek mythology theme. He is saying that they are among those suffering in Hell because they are in a forbidden relationship and having an affair.
He digs her dresses out because he feels that she has this whole new life without them and he's trying to hang on to what he has left and remember the times when it was just the two of them. He also sees her everywhere through the dresses, and then again in the sun. The dresses look disappointed because they're lifeless, hanging limply. This could also mean he feels guilty for something, perhaps for not preventing her from marrying someone else.
When he speaks about the devil's tricks and the marionette, he's saying that even though she has become a part of this higher society, she isn't tied down and doesn't belong with them. She still exercises freedom to be with the one she loves.
Next he talks about parliamentary houses, witnesses, and evidence. He is preparing for the time when they will be discovered and thus taken to court for their affair. He then says that he'll take his part and prove her innocence no matter what they say, meaning he is ready to take all the blame for their affair and let her continue to live her life without him.
The next time he talke about the horse cart, it's more of a request. "Drag your holy horse cart in the sky when I wake up" is him accepting that once he is convicted, he won't be able to see her anymore, but he will still see her face in the sun. He doesn't want that to go away because that's all he'll have left of her.
He compares himself to Christ two times. "Testify allegiance with more puncture wounds that Jesus" is him saying that even though she is married to someone else and doesn't necessarily deserve his undying loyalty, he has sworn allegiance to her. It doesn't matter how much she has hurt him ("puncture wounds"). Then, at the end he says to "leave that ainful memory in the garden of Gethsemane." He is comparing his sacrifice for her to the sacrifice of Christ to take on all the sins of the world. Even though he is doing all of this for her, he's still willing to forget the pain she caused him.
I think that this song is talking about a man in an affair. The line "I'd have carried your wedding shawl, you could have said I was a school friend" suggests that he is more than just a school friend to the woman who just got married. Instead of letting him take part in the ceremony, however, he was forced to be "outside the kingdom hall" "like a stranger." He has to act as if he doesn't know her, which suggests that any relationship between the two of them would be looked down on or forbidden, suggesting a separation of classes or social standings. The line about the holy horse cart and the sun is alluding to Greek mythology, where the sun was pulled across the sky with a chariot. This symbolizes the passing of time, but since he sees her face in the sun (and probably everywhere else), he can't move on or forget about her. When he talks about excavating down to find the two of them among the drowning and the drowned, that could mean two things. First, it could be saying that they are miserable because they can't be together, as miserable as the drowning. Second, and this seems more likely, the drowning could refer to the river Styx in Hades, furthering a common Greek mythology theme. He is saying that they are among those suffering in Hell because they are in a forbidden relationship and having an affair. He digs her dresses out because he feels that she has this whole new life without them and he's trying to hang on to what he has left and remember the times when it was just the two of them. He also sees her everywhere through the dresses, and then again in the sun. The dresses look disappointed because they're lifeless, hanging limply. This could also mean he feels guilty for something, perhaps for not preventing her from marrying someone else. When he speaks about the devil's tricks and the marionette, he's saying that even though she has become a part of this higher society, she isn't tied down and doesn't belong with them. She still exercises freedom to be with the one she loves. Next he talks about parliamentary houses, witnesses, and evidence. He is preparing for the time when they will be discovered and thus taken to court for their affair. He then says that he'll take his part and prove her innocence no matter what they say, meaning he is ready to take all the blame for their affair and let her continue to live her life without him. The next time he talke about the horse cart, it's more of a request. "Drag your holy horse cart in the sky when I wake up" is him accepting that once he is convicted, he won't be able to see her anymore, but he will still see her face in the sun. He doesn't want that to go away because that's all he'll have left of her. He compares himself to Christ two times. "Testify allegiance with more puncture wounds that Jesus" is him saying that even though she is married to someone else and doesn't necessarily deserve his undying loyalty, he has sworn allegiance to her. It doesn't matter how much she has hurt him ("puncture wounds"). Then, at the end he says to "leave that ainful memory in the garden of Gethsemane." He is comparing his sacrifice for her to the sacrifice of Christ to take on all the sins of the world. Even though he is doing all of this for her, he's still willing to forget the pain she caused him.