Blanket of Ghosts

When I heard this song at first, I was confused, as well. But the more I listened to it, the interpretation that I got was very similar to The Neenja's.

The first stanza is Dustin admitting his struggles with sin. He quotes Paul (called "dear old St. Paul) from Romans 7:15 "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." When we first hear the chorus, we are a bit confused to the connection as to what it has with the first verse, but it becomes clearer after the second verse.

In the second verse, Dustin offers his ideas on how to deal with it. First, he mentions what we all try to do: implement rules on ourselves. "I want to kiss your lips but I'll kiss your cheek." This is a common technique that many of us try, but, as Dustin points out with the line, "The spirit is willing but the flesh is so weak," it usually can only last a for a short time until we give into sexual temptation.

This is where the last two lines of the second verse and the chorus are extremely important. "Just hear my request give this one on fair way/ Please take me home before it's too late," and "Bury me deep, covered in snow/ Wrap me in sleep with blankets of ghosts" are both clear references to death. I believe that Dusin is crying out in this song, "God, I've resisted temptation for this long, now take me home to paradise before it's too late (and I give into temptation)."

This same sentiment was reflected in Job 6. As we know from Job 1-2, he was a completely blameless man, but God chose to give him suffering. At the time, the predominant viewpoint of suffering was that "suffering was a direct result of you sinning." So, naturally, Job's friends were telling him to repent of his sins and his suffering will end. But Job did not understand because in his heart he knew he hadn't sinned. Then, in Job 6:8-10, he states: Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off! Then I would still have this consolation - my joy in unrelenting pain - that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.

In other words, it is better for me to die now, while I've kept God's commands, because the temptation is growing stronger and stronger and I don't know how much longer I can hold out.

This is a difficult reality to face, but Dustin's hope in heaven is much greater than any of the fleeting pleasures that this world has to offer. It is a song of hope, but it's a hope not of this earth. "Wake me when it's springtime in heaven/when the tears are all wiped from my face/Wake me when it's springtime in heaven/when I'm strong enough to walk in that place." Notice how Dustin's hope is in heaven, not on this earth.

This is my interpretation.