This song is one of Ian's many critiques against the church, especially the Catholic Church.
"Weighing-in": Refers to our death and judgment.
"Place your final burden on your hard-pressed next of kin": The Catholic practice of buying absolvances to get the dead from Purgetory into Heaven.
"Send the chamber pot back down the line to be filled up again": Tithing and offerings, though the collection plate being a chamber pot shows just how Ian feels about this practice. ;)
"Hard-headed miracle worker": A priest.
"'You really should make the deal'": Comparing a priest's/pastor's attempts to get a person to join a church to a business deal.
"You'd better lick two fingers clean": As the earlier person said, this is making the "pay up" gesture.
The next few lines refer to a person dying, using imagery from Locomotive Breath.
"You'd better leave your underpants with someone you can trust": Once again referring to Absolvances. This time telling you to make sure someone who will pay for them knows just how many you need.
"And when the Old Man with the telescope cuts the final strand you'd better lick two fingers clean,
before you shake his hand.": "Old Man with the telescope" is God, and "cuts the final strand" is death. It says that you have to pay up before you can meet God.
This song is one of Ian's many critiques against the church, especially the Catholic Church.
"Weighing-in": Refers to our death and judgment.
"Place your final burden on your hard-pressed next of kin": The Catholic practice of buying absolvances to get the dead from Purgetory into Heaven.
"Send the chamber pot back down the line to be filled up again": Tithing and offerings, though the collection plate being a chamber pot shows just how Ian feels about this practice. ;)
"Hard-headed miracle worker": A priest.
"'You really should make the deal'": Comparing a priest's/pastor's attempts to get a person to join a church to a business deal.
"You'd better lick two fingers clean": As the earlier person said, this is making the "pay up" gesture.
The next few lines refer to a person dying, using imagery from Locomotive Breath.
"You'd better leave your underpants with someone you can trust": Once again referring to Absolvances. This time telling you to make sure someone who will pay for them knows just how many you need.
"And when the Old Man with the telescope cuts the final strand you'd better lick two fingers clean, before you shake his hand.": "Old Man with the telescope" is God, and "cuts the final strand" is death. It says that you have to pay up before you can meet God.