I think this isn't exactly atheistic song. It is saying that you shouldn't take beliefs as a package deal.
"Everybody is thinking they can all be delivered sitting in a box like lost and found"
That you can believe only from inside of yourself and you should keep it that way:
"It’s all right, I got my own way to believe"
"There’s no way, mine is mine and yours won’t take its place, now make your getaway"
And if you find yourself not believing in something you should choose to go your own way.
That the meaning of beliefs is to make life better for everyone. So you can't have your back turned to the future:
"I’m bearing witness to some better things"
"Everyone’s a critic looking back up the river
Every boat is leaking in this town"
That religions don't want us to look forward. Instead they close themselves from the world:
"Science says we’re making love like the lizards
Try and say that fossils ain’t profound
Silence says we’re not allowed to consider
Silence says stand up sit down you’re out"
There is one section that I can't understand fully, that is:
"Holy rollers sitting with their backs to the middle all alone and sinking the bow"
What it means to sit back to the middle in a boat? And for what is the boat metaphore for? Religion?
I think this isn't exactly atheistic song. It is saying that you shouldn't take beliefs as a package deal. "Everybody is thinking they can all be delivered sitting in a box like lost and found"
That you can believe only from inside of yourself and you should keep it that way: "It’s all right, I got my own way to believe" "There’s no way, mine is mine and yours won’t take its place, now make your getaway" And if you find yourself not believing in something you should choose to go your own way.
That the meaning of beliefs is to make life better for everyone. So you can't have your back turned to the future: "I’m bearing witness to some better things" "Everyone’s a critic looking back up the river Every boat is leaking in this town"
That religions don't want us to look forward. Instead they close themselves from the world: "Science says we’re making love like the lizards Try and say that fossils ain’t profound Silence says we’re not allowed to consider Silence says stand up sit down you’re out"
There is one section that I can't understand fully, that is: "Holy rollers sitting with their backs to the middle all alone and sinking the bow" What it means to sit back to the middle in a boat? And for what is the boat metaphore for? Religion?