High Priestess

definitely one of my favorites from the album

I think it's "Priestess sitting up on a golden throne," but I could be wrong. I don't have a physical copy of the album and I don't know if it came with an official lyrics sheet or not.

A man spends a few years in jail, and these lyrics are him talking to himself and encouraging himself through the "long, slow journey." The only thing keeping him going is the woman he loves, who he comes to idolize as someone who will save him when he is released. She doesn't feel the same way, even though at one point she may have. When he finally is released, the woman just tells him to get his things and leave ("you better get what you came for" -- she doesn't even suspect SHE is what he came for). The man snaps back to reality, regretting all the emotional energy he invested in this woman ("Listen to yourself," man!). Beautiful, and tragic.

No i think this is about his relationship with his mother. His mother is the High Priestess. He has obviously returned from a journey and possibly ended a relationship and his mother is giving him words of advice..

"What you gonna do? Get a job? Pull your weight now?" She asks what he'll do when the girl calls for him or wants him back or just expects him to make sacrifices and he replies 'Can you help me' as if he's asking for the maternal support he needs to make difficult decisions.

Listen to my breath/prayer. Not sure which but this is the voice of his mother.

Priestess sitting up on a golden throne - more evidence of his admiration and near worship for this woman. Pat has vivid red hair and the imagery of a golden throne makes me wonder if his mother also has red hair. Maybe not but could be poetic and the symbol of a golden throne works either way.

The final line 'No! You'd better get what you came for. Listen to yourself!' is his mother telling him that just because his heart is broken, doesn't mean that he can give up. The whole song pays homage to maternal strength and the power of the feminine. As if he discovers that although he thought he had been discouraged by the end of a love, he was affected far more by his mothers response to his despondence.