A Far Cry

It is definitely about war as you said, and the fact that our entire system is so complacent and desensitized to it. The Mark Twain "War Prayer" may be to point out the irony of justifying war and death in the context of a "righteous" or "greater" cause. I think the final tone of the song and last 5 verses are directly addressing the fans and like minded individuals that see the world as the band/lyricist does; brutal, calloused, shallow, unequal, and increasingly deprived of human spirit. "I want to find the water to wash this damned slate clean" is saying...

It is definitely about war as you said, and the fact that our entire system is so complacent and desensitized to it. The Mark Twain "War Prayer" may be to point out the irony of justifying war and death in the context of a "righteous" or "greater" cause. I think the final tone of the song and last 5 verses are directly addressing the fans and like minded individuals that see the world as the band/lyricist does; brutal, calloused, shallow, unequal, and increasingly deprived of human spirit. "I want to find the water to wash this damned slate clean" is saying that he truly wants to see the end to this system and the return of humanity. "We sleep in what we create" acknowledges that this current state is only possible through people, such as the lyricist, that recognize the injustice and don't do anything. (Here's where my take on this gets pretty involved...) Right now
I'm living so much hate Right here My sins have all been paid to you Your friend and for your sake Dirty and so depriaved

e> By the indirect use of the common saying "right here, right now" he is connecting with the audience, telling them that this is not just a performance, a song, a lyric, but a confession, a genuine statement of his passion and belief that something needs change. He follows "right now" with "I live in so much hate," in the same disappointed, almost defeated tone of voice that permeates this entire last half of the song. Its almost as if he acknowledges that his disgust and hatred for the world he sees around him have become an integral part of his life, and sounds weary and tired of bearing this for so long.

By "sins" I believe he refers to the fact that he is part of the problem, that he is one of the people yet to stand up. His payment is through his music, the inspiration for others to acknowledge the need for drastic change and fight back. In the last verse, I think he refers to "another Angel" as those also sickened by the world and society. The imagery of him bashing the angel's head against the wall expresses his fury that people can acknowledge the injustice in the world, listen to his music, and yet still remain silent, choosing...

By "sins" I believe he refers to the fact that he is part of the problem, that he is one of the people yet to stand up. His payment is through his music, the inspiration for others to acknowledge the need for drastic change and fight back. In the last verse, I think he refers to "another Angel" as those also sickened by the world and society. The imagery of him bashing the angel's head against the wall expresses his fury that people can acknowledge the injustice in the world, listen to his music, and yet still remain silent, choosing to "grin and bear it." He vows never to sin again, against himself, as a final statement that something needs to be done. The last few lines are his dissapointment in his fellow people, the audience, and others who think like him. He truly wants to revolt, change the system, and no longer remain silent. His music isn't just music, but a rallying cry. And he realizes no one else is willing to stand, that he can't truly find anyone that is willing to risk everything to change the future direction of humanity. He realizes that his music, the inspiration and his rage will not result in what he'd hoped, and that he gives up his hope that others in the world were as passionate and ready to act as he was.