Personally i think the first two lines are guiding the listener through the first 2 stages of life before death. "Eyes that never close, hands too numb to hold a glass or matchstick." could be describing a childhood and "Everybody knows this old house is cold and crowed with halfwits." could be describing adult hood. He then goes into singing about death "Cemetery Row is not such a bad place." Just my opinion :D
Personally i think the first two lines are guiding the listener through the first 2 stages of life before death. "Eyes that never close, hands too numb to hold a glass or matchstick." could be describing a childhood and "Everybody knows this old house is cold and crowed with halfwits." could be describing adult hood. He then goes into singing about death "Cemetery Row is not such a bad place." Just my opinion :D