Falling Out Theme

I get 2 things from this song. It can either be as straightforward as it looks, being about a relationship that is on again off again, or it could be more deep and be about a relationship with the Lord that is on again off again. There is evidence to support both.

I would assume that it is not as much of a religious song due to songs like Pariah Under Glass, Bathory's Sainthood, and such. These songs point heavily to reasons to not be religious? But yea, I can see how the words "heal" and such could be interpreted as religious allusions.

To me, it seems as though the religious metaphors are a clever device used to describe the strong physical attraction that keeps bringing them back together, though they know it is never going to work out in the end. It's like the relationship described in the Cure song "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea".

I love the part that is inspired by Jesus Christ Superstar:

I believe you can make me walk
I believe all you do is talk
See my hands a mass of blood
From scraping at your golden gates

The lyrics from "The Temple" are:

See my eyes, I can hardly see.
See me stand, I can hardly walk.
I believe you can make me whole.
See my tongue, I can hardly talk.
See my skin, I'm a mass of blood.
See my legs, I can hardly stand.
I believe you can make me well.
See my purse, I'm a poor, poor man.
Will you touch, will you mend me Christ?
Won't you touch, will you heal me Christ?
Will you kiss, you can cure me Christ?
Won't you kiss, won't you pay me Christ?

Go find the cover of "The Temple" from the Afghan Whigs album "Congregation" (1992)! That's the only reason I recognized where that part came from, and decided to come here to figure what the song meant. :o)