I think that thoughts3 has a very good interpretation. However, personally, I don't believe this whole song is referencing back to the preacher or the establishment of the church/religion.
I think the first verse, when mentioning the preacher, could be meant ironically. Here comes this cold preacher, thinking he has all of the answers and is above others because he has God on his side, however, he is stumbling against the wind (life) and singing about love being something to believe in (hymns). A prayer and the sea I believe means the preacher was leading the congregation in prayer (the members being the sea) and for some reason this weighs heavily on him. Instead of singing he finds himself crying saying that love is something to believe in. This could be because maybe he had lost faith in a conventional God and found faith in love and maybe his own God or higher power.
He then speaks to his child who is mentioned as "of wonder rambling". So young, innocent, questioning the world around them. He realizes that all of his anger toward the world, possibly religion/God, are not fair or rational. I think them being crooked fingers means that they point back to him. He realizes that he has a lot of blame in the issues in his life but he has decided to start anew; he is going to let it all wash out and away in the rain.
The third verse sees the writer realizes that his aim in life and his goals have been wrong or just off focus. All of the people he idolized (his heroes) or possibly the God he believed in all go up in flames. He feels that everything he once believed in his now gone but he is going to let it all go and wash away.
I think the fourth verse could reference back to the first. It mentions the cold again which reminds me of the "chilly preacher". He finds in this verse that love is something to believe in and therefore forgiveness also goes hand and hand with it. I think the defenses he once held and built around him are now falling by the wayside and he now knows that being free is also something to believe in. Being free of your chains that weigh you down, your defenses, your anger, etc.
In the final verse he has already established that he believes in love and freedom and he is now referencing his God, this god he now believes in, he wants his gypsy train. He wrote this song while on the railroad revival tour. So it may be possible that if he had faith in something before it was shaken while he was here. Therefore he is singing to his god, who believes in love and freedom that he wants him/her to be okay with his love for this gypsy train (a train going anywhere, full of vagabonds).
The song as a whole is just starting anew, finding a new path, or things to have faith in and letting all of your past issues go and "wash out in the rain". Brilliant song with beautiful lyrics.
I think that thoughts3 has a very good interpretation. However, personally, I don't believe this whole song is referencing back to the preacher or the establishment of the church/religion.
I think the first verse, when mentioning the preacher, could be meant ironically. Here comes this cold preacher, thinking he has all of the answers and is above others because he has God on his side, however, he is stumbling against the wind (life) and singing about love being something to believe in (hymns). A prayer and the sea I believe means the preacher was leading the congregation in prayer (the members being the sea) and for some reason this weighs heavily on him. Instead of singing he finds himself crying saying that love is something to believe in. This could be because maybe he had lost faith in a conventional God and found faith in love and maybe his own God or higher power.
He then speaks to his child who is mentioned as "of wonder rambling". So young, innocent, questioning the world around them. He realizes that all of his anger toward the world, possibly religion/God, are not fair or rational. I think them being crooked fingers means that they point back to him. He realizes that he has a lot of blame in the issues in his life but he has decided to start anew; he is going to let it all wash out and away in the rain.
The third verse sees the writer realizes that his aim in life and his goals have been wrong or just off focus. All of the people he idolized (his heroes) or possibly the God he believed in all go up in flames. He feels that everything he once believed in his now gone but he is going to let it all go and wash away.
I think the fourth verse could reference back to the first. It mentions the cold again which reminds me of the "chilly preacher". He finds in this verse that love is something to believe in and therefore forgiveness also goes hand and hand with it. I think the defenses he once held and built around him are now falling by the wayside and he now knows that being free is also something to believe in. Being free of your chains that weigh you down, your defenses, your anger, etc.
In the final verse he has already established that he believes in love and freedom and he is now referencing his God, this god he now believes in, he wants his gypsy train. He wrote this song while on the railroad revival tour. So it may be possible that if he had faith in something before it was shaken while he was here. Therefore he is singing to his god, who believes in love and freedom that he wants him/her to be okay with his love for this gypsy train (a train going anywhere, full of vagabonds).
The song as a whole is just starting anew, finding a new path, or things to have faith in and letting all of your past issues go and "wash out in the rain". Brilliant song with beautiful lyrics.