Cathedral

Wow! This is the pinnacle of Graham Nash's songwriting career in my opinion, with superb lyrics and imagery and great music to frame it all. It seems that the lyrics describe a hallucinogenic experience, either actual or imagined (a writer doesn't have to experience something directly in order to write about it), and then embed a powerful commentary about the shortcomings of religion within the narrative.

The way I interpret it, the protagonist "drops" the hallucinogenic substance at 6 am while imagining some sort of connection to a middle ages royalty vision.
The effects of the drug become more apparent at 7 am, with the telltale altered taste in the mouth, "here it comes, I taste the warning" and the the sense of clarity that follows. Of course, I've never done this type of drug myself, but I have heard from others who have done it that this is a very good description of the sensations.

The protagonist intends on heading to Stonehenge, but perhaps gets sidetracked and first visits Winchester Cathedral, where he observes custodial types meticulously cleaning the ornate decor. Something strikes him as contrived and discomforting about the whole scene, " a feeling deep inside of me tells me this can't be the place" and he continues into a criticism of the way religion is often misused. I will not pick apart every line, but there are references to all the lies and killings that are all to often done in the name of religion.

I absolutely love this song - the lyrics, the vocalization, the music, and the message - it all resonates very powerfully for me with respect to my own dissolution with Christianity due to lies, hypocrisy, the Inquisition, murder, rape, pillage, and plunder in the name during the Crusades in the name of Christ and overall lack of connection with the Earth. In that respect, Cathedral reminds me very much of The Garden of Love, a poem by William Blake.