Lyric discussion by AlexanderDumbass 

Cover art for Gates to the Garden lyrics by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

His lover is dead and he imagines being with her as he visits her grave. Interesting twist at the end: "Let the saints attend to the keeping of the cathedrals", which suggests that he is no longer so crippled by grief. The song is about moving on from losing the ones you love, but without forgetting them.