Mary Is Mary

I think this is about a couple losing a child and struggling with the pain, and the protagonist (most likely the mother, due to the 'Mary' reference) being left behind by their partner.

"And there is no greater to despair on And Mary is Mary and I'm not But what, what good does she have that I have gone?"

It is said there is nothing worse than losing a child ("no greater to despair on"). Mary is Mary sounds like it's referring to Mother Mary of Jesus, who willingly gave up her son, but the protagonist here is saying she did not. The fact that this is referenced could mean the child died for some sort of purpose - perhaps in a war.

"And one head is lesser than the two heads But we know the thoughts that go unsaid And I'm left alone in my own home Where all that I own is not my own"

"One head is lesser than the two heads" depicts the parents becoming separated following the death of their child. It sounds like father has run away to escape the pain, but "we know the thoughts that go unsaid" - even though the father has tried to escape this by leaving the mother behind, the thoughts of what happened can't be escaped, even if they're not spoken. "I'm left alone in my own house where all that I own is not my own" - by pointing out the house and its contents are shared, the mother is also referencing that her pain should be shared and is not solely her own to bear - the father who ran away owns some of this burden.

"And all sleeping giants, why do you lie? Behind the eyes of who I love the best And is there another where you do keep The pain of another where my arms sleep"

Sleeping giants lying behind the eyes of the one the protagonist loves the most - it sounds like she is wanting the emotions ("sleeping giants") behind her partner's eyes to be expressed - whether that is by being unleashed around her, or being strong in the face of this loss. She sees them as valuable and they should be woken to help heal from this trauma.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone agrees or disagrees. Fantastic song.

We left a 'maybe' for the cold hard

(Something that had been rumored became reality)

And they found a body in my backyard

(The corpse that you planted last year in your garden, has it begun to sprout, or has the sudden frost disturbed its bed? O keep the dog far hence, that's friend to man, or with his nails he'll dig it up again!)

And leave for the country just like you did

(Gentrification)

But he's not in the country, just look how you live

(Suburbanization)

And O high and mighty, what do you know?

(O God. O God. Oh god oh god oh god yes.)

And there is no great eye on the sparrow

(c.f. the old Gospel hymn His Eye is on the Sparrow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Eye_Is_on_the_Sparrow)

And Mary is Mary and I am not

(Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee)

But what, what good does she have that I haven't got?

(Hail Mary, full of death, sing me a bitter song)

And one head is lesser than the two heads

(One is the loneliest number)

But we know the facts that go unsaid

(Two can be as sad as one)

And I'm left alone in my own home Where all that I own is not my own

(It's the loneliest number since the number one)

And O sleeping giant, why do you rest Behind the eyes of who I love the best

(Why do people's religions have to get in the way)

And is there another where you do keep The pain of another where my own sleep

(Or maybe the song is about religious faith as metaphor for sexual fidelity, who knows)

And O high and mighty, what is your guess? Can we learn to live with so much less?

(I really wanted this lyric to be "so much loss", but it's not.)

And you say that we end where we all go

("To Hell, I guess.")

But O high and mighty, what do you know?

(Oh Lord. Amen.)