This seems to be pretty clear it is about a relationship with Jesus. This song was hard to interpret, but here are a few things I picked out.
John was considered the "apostle Jesus loved", as is well known, and I won't get into that.
"Are we to speak, first day of the week
Stumbling words at the bar"
*First day of the week is Sunday - the day everyone goes to church. It can be awkward to speak with God and you don't always know what to say.
"Beloved of John, I get it all wrong
I read you for some kind of poem"
*Beloved OF John, probably referencing Jesus.
He is saying he had read the whole story as just a pleasant sounding tale. It isn't so much that he didn't believe it, but it seemed distant, more like art than a relationship.
"Covered in lines, the fossils I find
Have they no life of their own?"
*I'm not as sure of this one, but the worldly things that take his interest, they seem dead to him.
"So can we be friends, sweetly
Before the mystery ends?"
*This seemed fuzzier to me, but at least one interpretation. Several times in the New Testament, it speaks of "the mystery", and here, the end of the mystery could easily be death, or kingdom come - the moment he goes to heaven.
The last verse seems to be from Jesus' perspective.
"If history speaks, the kiss on my cheek
Where there remains but a mark"
Judas' kiss on Jesus cheek
"Beloved my John, so I’ll carry on
Counting my cards down to one
And when I am dead, come visit my bed
My fossil is bright in the sun"
Saying he's going to die, so come visit his grave.
This seems to be pretty clear it is about a relationship with Jesus. This song was hard to interpret, but here are a few things I picked out.
John was considered the "apostle Jesus loved", as is well known, and I won't get into that.
"Are we to speak, first day of the week Stumbling words at the bar" *First day of the week is Sunday - the day everyone goes to church. It can be awkward to speak with God and you don't always know what to say.
"Beloved of John, I get it all wrong I read you for some kind of poem" *Beloved OF John, probably referencing Jesus. He is saying he had read the whole story as just a pleasant sounding tale. It isn't so much that he didn't believe it, but it seemed distant, more like art than a relationship.
"Covered in lines, the fossils I find Have they no life of their own?" *I'm not as sure of this one, but the worldly things that take his interest, they seem dead to him.
"So can we be friends, sweetly Before the mystery ends?" *This seemed fuzzier to me, but at least one interpretation. Several times in the New Testament, it speaks of "the mystery", and here, the end of the mystery could easily be death, or kingdom come - the moment he goes to heaven.
The last verse seems to be from Jesus' perspective. "If history speaks, the kiss on my cheek Where there remains but a mark" Judas' kiss on Jesus cheek
"Beloved my John, so I’ll carry on Counting my cards down to one And when I am dead, come visit my bed My fossil is bright in the sun" Saying he's going to die, so come visit his grave.