I see this song as being anti-christian. Bob Grew up in a small town in the midwest and he was one of the few jewish people in town. This made him different from them and made it so he examined their religion more. "Mary wore three links of chain, every link was jesus name. Keep your hand on that plow hold on", sounds like slavery to me, reminds me especially of the bible's treatment of women as property. Then later is the promise of gold lined streets in heaven, but he's never been there and says to hold on to the plow right afterword. Meaning don't think get back to your slave labor for this religion and it's false promises, hold on to the gospel plow.
I see this song as being anti-christian. Bob Grew up in a small town in the midwest and he was one of the few jewish people in town. This made him different from them and made it so he examined their religion more. "Mary wore three links of chain, every link was jesus name. Keep your hand on that plow hold on", sounds like slavery to me, reminds me especially of the bible's treatment of women as property. Then later is the promise of gold lined streets in heaven, but he's never been there and says to hold on to the plow right afterword. Meaning don't think get back to your slave labor for this religion and it's false promises, hold on to the gospel plow.