I think that this song is actually referring to the ups and downs of a disillusionment with his faith in the Catholic church. "Maiden, mother, crone" is a symbol predominant in neo-pagan/Wiccan culture for the "triple goddess". People often refer to the Blessed Virgin Mary as an artifact from that tradition. The references to "Tiffany window" or stained glass, as well as the reference to the "origami rose" (the Mother of God is often depicted with roses, and has been associated with multiple miracles in which she's been involved) both reinforce this conclusion.
It seems that the "looting" he refers to focuses more on a sense of loss, than of some sort of political injustice. The "out with the old, in with the new!" seems to strike a somber tone, as he details the list of items that all seem to contain value, but have decayed and become antiquated (the box of letters are dusty, the suit of armour rusty, and even though the casket is made of gold --it's nonetheless a casket [perhaps the casket of fourteen karat gold refers more to a casket that holds contents of great worth, emotionally speaking]). It seems that items (or beliefs) he once treasured and revered were suddenly ripped from his life, as they no longer fit within his mental context.
The "hourglass on her side" refers to time at a standstill (i.e. the sand doesn't move). It seems that our sense of time becomes the most disrupted, and the most slowed, when terrible tragedies arise in our life. Such tragedies often prompt us to doubt God's existence. How could something so unspeakably awful happen with his consent?
He then goes on to specifically call on God (the Father, Son, and Ghost), telling him that he loved him, but was abandoned when he "needed you the most", (i.e. when the tragic event took place). He then comes to a revelation that his fate exists within his own hands, a conclusion that arose suddenly, that he didn't expect (I never saw it coming, from my human prism).
I believe the last verse refers to his musically "fallow state". While incredibly prolific, Conor Oberst often expresses dissatisfaction with his work (e.g. he spoke of how he's quitting all "the rootsy shit" when talking about his past folk sound). He specifically went to his hometown of Omaha to record this album, suggesting that this album was intended to be a very meaningful one. It seems that he heard the "strange commotion" and was inspired once again, though in different way this time. He wished he "could go home" "to carve you into stone". In some ways, this song is in honor of a love lost: a faith that was eroded and destroyed, rather than burnished, in the face of catastrophe.
I think that this song is actually referring to the ups and downs of a disillusionment with his faith in the Catholic church. "Maiden, mother, crone" is a symbol predominant in neo-pagan/Wiccan culture for the "triple goddess". People often refer to the Blessed Virgin Mary as an artifact from that tradition. The references to "Tiffany window" or stained glass, as well as the reference to the "origami rose" (the Mother of God is often depicted with roses, and has been associated with multiple miracles in which she's been involved) both reinforce this conclusion.
It seems that the "looting" he refers to focuses more on a sense of loss, than of some sort of political injustice. The "out with the old, in with the new!" seems to strike a somber tone, as he details the list of items that all seem to contain value, but have decayed and become antiquated (the box of letters are dusty, the suit of armour rusty, and even though the casket is made of gold --it's nonetheless a casket [perhaps the casket of fourteen karat gold refers more to a casket that holds contents of great worth, emotionally speaking]). It seems that items (or beliefs) he once treasured and revered were suddenly ripped from his life, as they no longer fit within his mental context.
The "hourglass on her side" refers to time at a standstill (i.e. the sand doesn't move). It seems that our sense of time becomes the most disrupted, and the most slowed, when terrible tragedies arise in our life. Such tragedies often prompt us to doubt God's existence. How could something so unspeakably awful happen with his consent?
He then goes on to specifically call on God (the Father, Son, and Ghost), telling him that he loved him, but was abandoned when he "needed you the most", (i.e. when the tragic event took place). He then comes to a revelation that his fate exists within his own hands, a conclusion that arose suddenly, that he didn't expect (I never saw it coming, from my human prism).
I believe the last verse refers to his musically "fallow state". While incredibly prolific, Conor Oberst often expresses dissatisfaction with his work (e.g. he spoke of how he's quitting all "the rootsy shit" when talking about his past folk sound). He specifically went to his hometown of Omaha to record this album, suggesting that this album was intended to be a very meaningful one. It seems that he heard the "strange commotion" and was inspired once again, though in different way this time. He wished he "could go home" "to carve you into stone". In some ways, this song is in honor of a love lost: a faith that was eroded and destroyed, rather than burnished, in the face of catastrophe.