Although I did think a little bit about a Christian undertone to this song, my major interpretation of it agrees more closely with what has been said was Stips's stated meaning of being about hunger and hopelessness.
"Not everyone can carry the weight of the world" to me is more of a statement regarding the idea that it becomes unbearable to be a loving, caring person with the constant suffering that is all around us (the weight of the sadness), rather than about a messianic idea of trying to lift the world on your shoulders and save it.
"Empty prayer, empty mouths" I think is mostly his way of creating this image of the hungry (both literal and metaphoric hunger), hopeless people, wailing to the heavens, etc, for help but going unanswered, and the passion/his "combien reaction" is his desire to help, and feeling of inability to do so.
So to me, this song gives just a very strong feeling of seeing the pain and suffering in the world, and wanting so badly to help to see things change, but being just simply overwhelmed by it.
Although I did think a little bit about a Christian undertone to this song, my major interpretation of it agrees more closely with what has been said was Stips's stated meaning of being about hunger and hopelessness.
"Not everyone can carry the weight of the world" to me is more of a statement regarding the idea that it becomes unbearable to be a loving, caring person with the constant suffering that is all around us (the weight of the sadness), rather than about a messianic idea of trying to lift the world on your shoulders and save it.
"Empty prayer, empty mouths" I think is mostly his way of creating this image of the hungry (both literal and metaphoric hunger), hopeless people, wailing to the heavens, etc, for help but going unanswered, and the passion/his "combien reaction" is his desire to help, and feeling of inability to do so.
So to me, this song gives just a very strong feeling of seeing the pain and suffering in the world, and wanting so badly to help to see things change, but being just simply overwhelmed by it.