In the liner notes to The Devil and God there is a dedication to a number of people who passed away during the making of the album, one of whom is Leo Lacey. I'm assuming this is Jesse's grandfather or another older relative, and that the line that goes "huddled in the brig all with his shipmates, praying for his life when they dropped the bomb" is a reference to WWII. A quick Google search confirms that a Leo Lacey who spent his life around the NJ/NYC/Long Island area did indeed serve in the Pacific Theater during WWII.
That might give some insight as to the meaning of the song.
The second verse begins "Leo loved his wife..."
In the liner notes to The Devil and God there is a dedication to a number of people who passed away during the making of the album, one of whom is Leo Lacey. I'm assuming this is Jesse's grandfather or another older relative, and that the line that goes "huddled in the brig all with his shipmates, praying for his life when they dropped the bomb" is a reference to WWII. A quick Google search confirms that a Leo Lacey who spent his life around the NJ/NYC/Long Island area did indeed serve in the Pacific Theater during WWII.
That might give some insight as to the meaning of the song.