I've always loved this poem in particular and after listening to it many times, its obvious. Its about death in general (not a big surprise coming from Jim). The first half of the poem has references to war and dying.
"Dog-men and their mean women
Pulling poor blankets over
Our sailors"
The above is a reference to draping sheets over the dead, in particular "sailors," or men at sea fighting.
After Jim makes the above observation of death, it inspires him to evaluate his own life. As Schr4nz stated, he's "sick of dour faces staring at me from the TV tower." an obvious reference to his fame. He then returns to his original thoughts.
"Royal babies, rubies
Must now replace aborted
Strangers in the mud
These mutants, blood-meal
For the plant that's plowed"
The above is stating that the loss of soldiers is traded for monetary value or power. and "Blood meal for the plant thats plowed" is obviously a reference to these dead soldiers decomposing in the ground once burried.
He then speaks of death awaiting us. And despite the line that "death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we had shoulders smooth as raven claws," its not a specific reference to any particular religion. Much of his poetry or lyrics have a spiritual theme to them, his own self-brewed spirituality.
And he ends it classically, stating he prefers a feast of friends to the giant family," similiar to a line from Paradise Lost, "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." Religion or Society is corrupt, why waste your time living by their laws, when you can become an Ubermensch and make your own while spending time with a few close friends?
I've always loved this poem in particular and after listening to it many times, its obvious. Its about death in general (not a big surprise coming from Jim). The first half of the poem has references to war and dying.
"Dog-men and their mean women Pulling poor blankets over Our sailors"
The above is a reference to draping sheets over the dead, in particular "sailors," or men at sea fighting.
After Jim makes the above observation of death, it inspires him to evaluate his own life. As Schr4nz stated, he's "sick of dour faces staring at me from the TV tower." an obvious reference to his fame. He then returns to his original thoughts.
"Royal babies, rubies Must now replace aborted Strangers in the mud These mutants, blood-meal For the plant that's plowed"
The above is stating that the loss of soldiers is traded for monetary value or power. and "Blood meal for the plant thats plowed" is obviously a reference to these dead soldiers decomposing in the ground once burried.
He then speaks of death awaiting us. And despite the line that "death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we had shoulders smooth as raven claws," its not a specific reference to any particular religion. Much of his poetry or lyrics have a spiritual theme to them, his own self-brewed spirituality.
And he ends it classically, stating he prefers a feast of friends to the giant family," similiar to a line from Paradise Lost, "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." Religion or Society is corrupt, why waste your time living by their laws, when you can become an Ubermensch and make your own while spending time with a few close friends?