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I think much of the lyrics refers to W.H. Auden's poem "Musée des Beaux Arts," whose title is the name of the French museum that houses the painting of the song's title and paintings depicting scenes from the Gospels of Christ. The poem, which has much to do about suffering, alludes to a Christ-like "miraculous birth," (i.e., "I was born into self-actualization") and also a "dreadful martyrdom." This idea of a dreadful martyrdom is important, especially when you compare the last lines of the song to Jesus' words in the Garden of Gethsemane (a place that T. Andronicus refers to in "Joset of Nazareth's Blues") before his crucifixion: "Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14:26)
I think much of the lyrics refers to W.H. Auden's poem "Musée des Beaux Arts," whose title is the name of the French museum that houses the painting of the song's title and paintings depicting scenes from the Gospels of Christ. The poem, which has much to do about suffering, alludes to a Christ-like "miraculous birth," (i.e., "I was born into self-actualization") and also a "dreadful martyrdom." This idea of a dreadful martyrdom is important, especially when you compare the last lines of the song to Jesus' words in the Garden of Gethsemane (a place that T. Andronicus refers to in "Joset of Nazareth's Blues") before his crucifixion: "Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14:26)