I think this is a song about Jesus. The narrator is telling us that he is distanced from this whole world...a world in which there is a word ("the Word") that is also "a ransom." Christian theology, in fact, often describes the death of Jesus as a ransom (based on Bible passages like Mark 10:45, for example).

I think this is a song about Jesus. The narrator is telling us that he is distanced from this whole world...a world in which there is a word ("the Word") that is also "a ransom." Christian theology, in fact, often describes the death of Jesus as a ransom (based on Bible passages like Mark 10:45, for example).

The first verses describe a kind of portentous birth – birds flying from corn, skies cracking open (and weeping), etc. It could work for any sort of divine being, really...stories abound in all sorts of cultures describing "signs and...

The first verses describe a kind of portentous birth – birds flying from corn, skies cracking open (and weeping), etc. It could work for any sort of divine being, really...stories abound in all sorts of cultures describing "signs and portents" attending the birth of divinities.

In the second set of verses, we learn that he was wed – to angels, who wept while he "danced downstairs" on Earth? Or perhaps he was wed to mankind, whom he was to abandon for his final infernal dance with death.

When the "end finally came," he forgot the author's name! In other words: dying on the cross, he seemed to forget who had actually written the script for the passion play. Yet he prayed. In Matthew and Mark, he actually says "Eli, eli, lama sabacthani," which in Aramaic means "my god, my god, why have you forsaken me?" Note that he does not use God's name here. "El" (the "i" is 1st-person possessive) was not God's name...it's the same word that an Aramaic speaker would use for any god.

And finally, we have the apocalyptic choruses: "this is what you will wear at the end of the world." In the first verses, he's just born, and so he must be naked...and that's how he'll leave when his world (or perhaps the entire world) ends. In the last verses, he seems to be downright joyful, or at least determined...and that, too, is what he "wears" at the End of the World.

That's my take, at any rate!

At the end of this video, Todd Snider relays what Prine told him about writing Bruised Orange. Prine was walking to a church to shovel the snow off the steps as was his job on a Sunday morning and heard sirens whaling and went over to investigate and found out an altar boy at the Catholic church, who was also walking to church that morning, was hit by a commuter train. John felt something in his heart at that moment but didn't know what he was feeling. Then years later as an adult he had his heartbroken...

At the end of this video, Todd Snider relays what Prine told him about writing Bruised Orange. Prine was walking to a church to shovel the snow off the steps as was his job on a Sunday morning and heard sirens whaling and went over to investigate and found out an altar boy at the Catholic church, who was also walking to church that morning, was hit by a commuter train. John felt something in his heart at that moment but didn't know what he was feeling. Then years later as an adult he had his heartbroken and realized that's what he had felt when he learned of the altar boy's accident. Beyond belief sh*t from Prine on this one, that's for sure. So that's how the "look out below, heart" line fits in with the altar boy story part of the song.

https://youtu.be/t6dmqrdmB-k?si=3ZQ_7wjNMLuMWRVl

I find this song very simple and straight forward. He's recognized his bad behavior patterns and is trying to change, and it's not easy, but he's doing the best that he can. Which is all anyone can do. I don't know how these lyrics pertain to Paul, but John spoke about the trouble he got into in school because they tried to fit him into the box they created which he does not fit into. He was angry, fighting all the time and in denial, physically hurting the women he was in relationships with (there is a video on youtube where John...

I find this song very simple and straight forward. He's recognized his bad behavior patterns and is trying to change, and it's not easy, but he's doing the best that he can. Which is all anyone can do. I don't know how these lyrics pertain to Paul, but John spoke about the trouble he got into in school because they tried to fit him into the box they created which he does not fit into. He was angry, fighting all the time and in denial, physically hurting the women he was in relationships with (there is a video on youtube where John talks about his treatment of women). "You gave me the word, I finally heard," I believe is talking about his relationship with Yoko, who helped him understand and change his ways. "It's getting better since you've been mine." But changing is hard and and it's an ongoing process. I believe he struggled his entire life with this negative behavior. When you do your best to change, you become that change. Just my take on this song.