It may be just me, but when I read these lyrics I think of The Inferno(Dante Alighieri). The Inferno starts with Dante descending("Climbing into fire") and is guided by Virgil("white hands, soft hands:carefully") throughout hell. Dante passes through the wood of suicides("Here's a farmer that hung himself on the expectation of plenty"). He also passes through other parts and views "endless gore" in one part later on.
It may be just me, but when I read these lyrics I think of The Inferno(Dante Alighieri). The Inferno starts with Dante descending("Climbing into fire") and is guided by Virgil("white hands, soft hands:carefully") throughout hell. Dante passes through the wood of suicides("Here's a farmer that hung himself on the expectation of plenty"). He also passes through other parts and views "endless gore" in one part later on.
that's my philosophy of the lyrics.