Steam Engine

I believe Hearthemeaning did a nice job with his explanation, but much like TheKinfaun's interpretation I have to lean more towards a secular explanation of the lyrics, and though I won't go into as much detail as Hearthemeaning I'll try to clarify...

I think we can all agree this song is certainly about the presence of something beyond the physical world and what is tangible or quantifiable by scientific or technological means. I love the line "Take your money and your drugs" because it seems to imply drugs (recreational or prescribed) and money are not the solution to the most miserable moments in life. It's almost as if this song communicates that life is all about the relationships we have with those around us and it's your own thoughts at moments like that which make life seem beautiful and worth living. In this sense the 'Steam Engine' would be more like intellect, powered by our thoughts (the steam).

If you look at the song's structure, in each of the three parts separated by the repetitious portion you see that there is a reference to an interpersonal relationship: -First, there is: "...but it's a voice and it's a choice to call you out or stay at home" -Second, you have: "...but it's the touch you need so much to move around on this green earth" -Third is: "...your skin looks good in moonlight and god damn those shaky knees, the fact that my heart's beating is all the proof you need"

Though I can't be certain of what exactly James' is referring to in this song, I tend to think it's perhaps the soul or the realm of emotion and thought, or it may be God (though I kind of hope not, it lessens the impact to me). Personally I feel it's about emotion, in the end they connect us all, at least in the sense that they allow us to empathize/sympathize with those around us. When you think back to the most joyous events of your life were you alone? I find when I think about those times I was most often with friends or family and it seemed as though there was something special and transcendent about those moments. Now think about the most miserable moments in your life, the pain and the hurt that crush your soul; Then the relief and comfort you can find in loving embrace of another or just in talking things out with a friend. To me that's what this song is about because we all share the human experience.

Besides, the only concrete religious mention I see is: "To anyone who wondered what old Jesus meant to me, take him out to go diving in Red Patoka Sea" and I'm thinking this lyric is either wrong or an allusion to something else. After searching, I can find no reference to a "Red Patoka Sea" the only thing I find is Patoka, IL (which is landlocked unless you count Lake Michigan adjacent) or Patoka Lake, IN (for which I can find no mention of marvelous underwater vistas, so what could be moving about diving there?). It's entirely possible James intended a religious undertone for this song (I don't know), while my interpretation may not mesh with every line, that is just not what I gather from the lyrics.