Vale of Tears

Overall Meaning: The song is talking about how religious people (priests, etc.) keep telling us how we should live our lives while pointing to the "next life" as the reward for us to come if we follow exactly what they say.

I think Riverside is asking us to wake up from our religious trance because the priests have "burned the promised land to the ground" so we should decide how we should live our lives and enjoy what the Earth has to offer instead of waiting for a "better life" to come.

Details:

Vale of Tears (also Valley of Tears) is a Christian phrase referencing the trials and tribulations Christians must go through in this life which are left behind once they enter "heaven" in the next life. The scope of the song may be all religions but this song at least references Roman Catholicism (Riverside is Polish after all).

Who is the song about?

"Tell me who I have to be Cross my head, lips and heart Make me get down on my knees"

Roman Catholics make the sign of the cross in all three places during Sunday mass so we know the song is talking about the laity (church goers) following the directions of the clergy (priests).

Adding Insult to Injury:

"Turn poetry into prose Then launch a crusade Make another vale of tears"

This talks about how clergy tell us to not only to suffer in this life but to also accept all the repercussions of their actions and commands. A prime example are the crusades the Roman Catholic Church engaged in where hundreds of thousands lost their lives for their "right to the holy land".

The Game:

"Shake me down I’ll make a noise Tap my hand I’ll make you smile Give me hope Then take away"

This talks about how the clergy manipulate thoughts and feelings to pull at the heartstrings so that chruch goers do as they say.

"Take me to the highest hill Show the fireworks display Tell me it’s for my own good"

Actually not sure what the fireworks is referring to but I think this refernces all the rituals clergy do during mass telling us "it's good for you".

The Refrain (Warning: Deep stuff here):

"Wading through the desert I am wading through the desert To the promised land You burned to the ground"

The church goers believe they are on this Earth going though a desert (vale of tears) in hopes of reaching the promised land through what the clergy say to do.What Riverside is saying here is that the clergy have "burned the promised land" because the promised land isn't actually heaven, it is what we have here on Earth. The clergy have "burned" it by changing our perception from enjoying our life here to enduring suffering during this life.

Wading means " the act of walking with our feet immersed in water". Church goers are too busy imagining we live in a "desert" in search of water to realize that we are "wading" or walking through water the whole time while on this Earth. We should shift our perspective and enjoy the life we have here now.