Walk the Line

"all tomorrow's parties will dance before my eyes" - velvet underground reference

To me, this song is narrated by an angel (or God?) despairing over the state of humanity. Hence the multiple celestial and war references. We are "bringing him down", by being callous and belligerent.

Only one word wrong. "When I steal those wings" not rings. Hince the flying about in the rest of the song and what not.

I agree with Corroboree, i reckon it's about God or some equally divine being commenting on the state of humanity

So I could be completely wrong, but I feel this relates to the fall of an angel? Maybe the most famous of them? If you read Paradise Lost, he really becomes personified as a tragic fall rather than merely being a purely evil creature.

The "I ain't gonna walk the line" referring to disobeying God? Followed of course by the "Please, don't shoot me down" then the falling and defeat and stubbornness of "I ain't gonna walk the line."

I believe this is a song from the point of view of Lucifer as he falls from the grace of God. In the beginning of the song he is being warned by God with the “You bring me down, oh child” saying, and he doesn’t say “I aint gonna walk the line” in that verse, because he hasn’t actually disobeyed God yet. God however being omnipresent is already aware of the coming transgression. This leads Lucifer into believing that his fate is set in stone, hence the saying “when I steal those rings I know I’ll have to burn”. He doesn’t even consider that he won’t steal them. He has no choice, but it is a choice he will make no matter what because he believes he is right in doing so, and God is not saving “the peasants and their wives” The reference to Jesus and Judas appears to be a snide jab at Gods way of teaching people. Lucifer believing that the better course is to simply save them. Almost a challenge of free will. The meaning of the line “You bring me down, oh child” changes meaning throughout the song starting with sadness on Gods part, evolving into anger on Gods part, and ending in sadness on Lucifer’s part, saying to God that he has brought Lucifer down, not the other way around. The begging of god by Lucifer, hoping God will see that he was right, but knowing the whole time “from the day we’re lifted we know we’ll have to burn”. It really paints a beautiful picture of corruption at the foundation of religion, and misplaced belief, as well as unearned faith and trust. It lets the open minded listener fall prey to the best lure of the Devil. He doesn’t believe he is evil, and is capable of great love and true compassion.

I am quite surprised nobody mentionned this but for me, the meaning is clearly about adolescence.

The season of thunder; little angels growing wings of pain.

It is related to the passage from childhood to the more turbulent teenage years. The parents don't want the child to bring them down. The teenager will not walk the line. Read the lyrics back while keeping this in mind and it does fit to almost every line