This is a lengthy explanation of the song, but please read it because it's deep and I think most people would agree with the meaning I'm offering"
I think you aren't read into it enough..
This song is definately about someone who has done something wrong in their past and they are afraid of people discovering what they did, and their struggle to confront themselves about it.
"Visit again white elephant"
[-The expression "white elephant" usually refers to something like a ghost that haunts someone. (Much like the pink elephant is used to show that someone is insane or intoxicated.) Here it is refering to a past action or sin that is haunting the character Pete has created in the song.]
"Who sent you to the loom?"
[-He asks what has caused him to feel remorse for whatever is haunting him.]
"Shall we sever everything?
Ponder this while we ponder why."
[-Here he's asking if he should forget about what he has done and try to move on.]
"He's starting to follow crows,
and climbing the ladder somewhere out,
to really begin to scare,"
[-This part of the song explains the effects of his guilt that is haunting him. He has become a darker person (hence the crows) and he seems out of touch with other people, possibly his family or friends, and they are are afraid for him.]
"and plotting to cover the grounds with a fine tooth comb"
[-This part of the song means that people are trying to find out what's wrong with him, or what he has done.]
"You poor little antisaint.
You poor little antisaint."
[-Pete seems to show sympathy and sarcasm here... He (the character in the song, not Pete) feels that he's not a good person but he's pretending to be one, or he want to be one, but maybe he can't because he doesn't want to give up his evil ways.]
"Nothing to say for the last time,
Just want to sink his will."
[-He's ashamed of himself for what he has done and he doesn't have any way to justify it. He feels that he can't change.]
"Just want to sink his will.
Like a predator's prey in the cold,
slowly starts to show."
[-Maybe people have also found out but they also lead him to believe that he can't change, because they want him to be hurt, and his pain and regret begins to show.]
"Assurance is what they need.
Hold the lion until it's fed."
[-It alludes to the part of the Bible that says "The Lion will lay down with the Lamb," but like him, maybe the lion cannot be trusted so "hold the Lion until it's fed," or in other words make sure that you can trust him before you put your faith in him. People need to know that he has changed and is no longer dangerous.]
"It's still only morning
But the fly's surfaced."
[-He believes that it is too late for him to change, but "it's only morning" meaning that he can still change and no longer be an evil, dangerous person, because he has caught his mistakes early and felt remorse for them.]
"You poor little antisaint.
You poor little antisaint.
You poor little antisaint.
You poor little antisaint."
[-Again Pete seems to be sympathetically mocking him.]
"The stakes are too low.
We may not need any."
[-He feels that if he doesn't change then he may lose everything, but again he wonders if it will matter if it's already too late and he's already lost it all, so why should he change?]
"Course we never feared it"
[-People never expected this out of him...]
"And if you could tell,
That the cleverest acting
Was the lying by you,
lying by you,
lying by you."
[-He has lied to himself about the past that is hauntiing him, and other people have no right to judge him because they have also sinned and made mistakes, but they have lied to make themselves seem perfect, when we are all really like him...]
"You poor little antisaint.
You poor little antisaint.
You poor little antisaint.
You poor little antisaint."
This is a lengthy explanation of the song, but please read it because it's deep and I think most people would agree with the meaning I'm offering" I think you aren't read into it enough..
This song is definately about someone who has done something wrong in their past and they are afraid of people discovering what they did, and their struggle to confront themselves about it.
"Visit again white elephant" [-The expression "white elephant" usually refers to something like a ghost that haunts someone. (Much like the pink elephant is used to show that someone is insane or intoxicated.) Here it is refering to a past action or sin that is haunting the character Pete has created in the song.]
"Who sent you to the loom?" [-He asks what has caused him to feel remorse for whatever is haunting him.]
"Shall we sever everything? Ponder this while we ponder why." [-Here he's asking if he should forget about what he has done and try to move on.]
"He's starting to follow crows, and climbing the ladder somewhere out, to really begin to scare," [-This part of the song explains the effects of his guilt that is haunting him. He has become a darker person (hence the crows) and he seems out of touch with other people, possibly his family or friends, and they are are afraid for him.]
"and plotting to cover the grounds with a fine tooth comb" [-This part of the song means that people are trying to find out what's wrong with him, or what he has done.]
"You poor little antisaint. You poor little antisaint." [-Pete seems to show sympathy and sarcasm here... He (the character in the song, not Pete) feels that he's not a good person but he's pretending to be one, or he want to be one, but maybe he can't because he doesn't want to give up his evil ways.]
"Nothing to say for the last time, Just want to sink his will." [-He's ashamed of himself for what he has done and he doesn't have any way to justify it. He feels that he can't change.]
"Just want to sink his will. Like a predator's prey in the cold, slowly starts to show." [-Maybe people have also found out but they also lead him to believe that he can't change, because they want him to be hurt, and his pain and regret begins to show.]
"Assurance is what they need. Hold the lion until it's fed." [-It alludes to the part of the Bible that says "The Lion will lay down with the Lamb," but like him, maybe the lion cannot be trusted so "hold the Lion until it's fed," or in other words make sure that you can trust him before you put your faith in him. People need to know that he has changed and is no longer dangerous.]
"It's still only morning But the fly's surfaced." [-He believes that it is too late for him to change, but "it's only morning" meaning that he can still change and no longer be an evil, dangerous person, because he has caught his mistakes early and felt remorse for them.]
"You poor little antisaint. You poor little antisaint. You poor little antisaint. You poor little antisaint." [-Again Pete seems to be sympathetically mocking him.]
"The stakes are too low. We may not need any." [-He feels that if he doesn't change then he may lose everything, but again he wonders if it will matter if it's already too late and he's already lost it all, so why should he change?]
"Course we never feared it" [-People never expected this out of him...]
"And if you could tell, That the cleverest acting Was the lying by you, lying by you, lying by you." [-He has lied to himself about the past that is hauntiing him, and other people have no right to judge him because they have also sinned and made mistakes, but they have lied to make themselves seem perfect, when we are all really like him...]
"You poor little antisaint. You poor little antisaint. You poor little antisaint. You poor little antisaint."
I would appreciate any comments: THE HALLOWED