I think this is both a "coming of age" story told in first person as well as a commentary of gurus, religion/spiritualism and how these are empty shields against emptiness and loneliness.
The coming of age is told through the three verses. In the first verse, our protagonist goes to catholic church ("called to Madonna") where he is berated for having hung out with some kind of guru (~speaking to a holy man about moon and sun"). He claims to be inexperienced and unable to tell who is a true guru but is willing to be shown the way ("the river to follow").
In the second verse, our protagonist is exploring - he took a riverboat up that river figuratively speaking and came to roads end there - from where he is stepping ashore it is for himself to find the way. I liken this to being taught basic meditation but thereafter having to continue by oneself in order to move on.
In the third verse, our hero(?) has gone far down the rabbit hole. He has wandered that desert path for too long, his original identity is lost among all the mumbojumbo. He is back among us, but he is different - he did not find any answers but lost his illusion that there are any. His mother does not see her son in him and other people see a meditation man. He plays the part of the guru but is bitter.
The chorus repeats the theme of loneliness and longing for human connection. The verses tell us that the way of the holy man certainly will not save us from it.
I think this is both a "coming of age" story told in first person as well as a commentary of gurus, religion/spiritualism and how these are empty shields against emptiness and loneliness.
The coming of age is told through the three verses. In the first verse, our protagonist goes to catholic church ("called to Madonna") where he is berated for having hung out with some kind of guru (~speaking to a holy man about moon and sun"). He claims to be inexperienced and unable to tell who is a true guru but is willing to be shown the way ("the river to follow"). In the second verse, our protagonist is exploring - he took a riverboat up that river figuratively speaking and came to roads end there - from where he is stepping ashore it is for himself to find the way. I liken this to being taught basic meditation but thereafter having to continue by oneself in order to move on. In the third verse, our hero(?) has gone far down the rabbit hole. He has wandered that desert path for too long, his original identity is lost among all the mumbojumbo. He is back among us, but he is different - he did not find any answers but lost his illusion that there are any. His mother does not see her son in him and other people see a meditation man. He plays the part of the guru but is bitter.
The chorus repeats the theme of loneliness and longing for human connection. The verses tell us that the way of the holy man certainly will not save us from it.