Lyric discussion by ThePython 

Cover art for 1 Samuel 15:23 lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

i think the song is about john himself, selling his albums as "self-help tapes." and i believe "shining crystals" is a metaphor for the reflective surface of a compact disc, and with the amount of music john has released over the years, you could certainly call it a supply!

i imagine those that listen to his music identify a lot with the echoes of internal ache in his song lyrics. "all sad faces at my window, i would welcome them inside"

i especially enjoy the line, "there's more like me where i come from, so mark our shapes"