Pillar Of Davidson

@tomtoro <br /> <br /> fully agreed with you here... This is one of my all time favorite songs and it always reminds me of the time I was stuggling with religious things (which was when I also came accross this song first)<br /> <br /> Also "old bad eyes"... man is born of sin (sees always temptations)... Reference to that I believe.<br /> <br /> That said, I DO think he used the factory as a metaphor of the above! Makes sense, one wouldn't want to be singing directly about it. Wouldn't make such a good song then.

I like everything about this, except I don't think the devil is necessarily winning. I can't see proof from this text anyway - the background's lyrics are missing?

@tomtoro I think you make a lot of great observations. My take on the "I can't start til I'm dead" is in reference to the biblical concept of dying to oneself and living for Christ. I don't think there is a physical death going on, but rather putting to death the way we used to be (the flesh). He can't start to seek after Christ until he first puts his old self "to death". This concept is referred to in many ways in scripture: we are "living sacrifices", and "those who lose their live for my sake will gain it", etc.

@tomtoro I believe you are on to something here. I have also read the other replies. I agree with the commenter who said “Won’t start til I’m dead” refers to dying to be self to free oneself to live for Jesus, and through him for others. The dying to self contrasts with the evangelist who exploits people. People are not tools to be used; they are sacred. That is a basic teaching of Christianity: Honor others above yourself. Work for the well-being of others.<br /> <br /> Because it doesn’t fit with the character of Jesus to find difficult going anywhere to rescue anyone he loves (which is everyone) I don’t really see your interpretation of the last stanza. I can see it as a struggle with sexuality, like one commenter has said, because the rythmn and cadence of the Song feels sexual to me. But it is definitely about a struggle, possibly between tendencies toward self-absorption (the Bible’s definition of sin) and a self-giving compassionate way f life learned through the imminent ness f the Pillar of Davidson. But something must be true. The Pillar of Davidson is an aid in the struggle, not a hindrance.

I am also thinking Old Bad Eyes IS Almighty Fear. It is a fearsome thing to die to yourself and enter into an unknown path where exploitation of others is not necessary. When I think of Stallions in the Bible I think of war and battle. Even the Four Horseman of the apocalypse represent the struggles of this life: illness, starvation, death. Throughout the words about the stallion in the background “Shepherd of My Days” continues. <br /> <br /> So you have two things being said at the same time (an important point).<br /> <br /> “The Shepherd won’t leave me alone.<br /> He’s in my face at night<br /> Shepherd of my days.”<br /> <br /> “Here I am locking horns with The Stallion<br /> Failing to hold my head up, I’ll go back again<br /> Pillar of Davidson feeling to hard to go down<br /> Cheaper than all the souls he will walk upon<br /> Deeper and deeper in love so I hold my head up<br /> Cheaper than all the souls he will walk upon<br /> Pillar of Davidson feeling to hard to go down.<br /> <br /> I have more questions about the one stanza containing the title words of the song than I have answers.<br /> <br /> What does it mean to go down?<br /> What does it mean to feel to hard (too hard?)<br /> What does it mean to walk upon souls?<br /> What thing is cheaper?<br /> <br /> I am thinking that to go down is to go under; the opposite of holding your head up. Therefore if it is the one singing (Ed) who is struggling to hold his head up, it is also he wh is going down. Going deeper in love is associated with holding his head up. Holding your head up would then be to win the battle of choosing working for someone else’s well-being rather than exploiting them for your own self-interest ( a primary struggle of life presented in the New Testament).<br /> <br /> Who is walking upon the souls? If to walk is to trample upon, to exploit for one’s own gain, then the one walking upon the souls is The Stallion and the Stallion’s ways of exploitation for personal gain.<br /> <br /> What is “feeling to”? It isn’t spelt as “feeling too,” so does it mean “feeling toward”? If Pillar of Davidson is the Son of David (Jesus) then to reach toward the ne going down would be something Jesus does.<br /> <br /> What does “cheaper than all the souls he will walk upon” mean? If it is The Stallion who is walking upon the souls (exploiting them, “ then the singer is saying that his love and his and his ability to conquer his own fear of denying himself for the sake of others is worth less than the souls The Stallion (the chief exploiter, the foreman, the profiteer) walks upon. The souls of others are worth more than his own sacrifice to live in a different way.<br /> <br /> In reaching out toward the one who struggles, the Pillar of Davidson is a help in this struggle, enabling the singer to love; to hold his head up. With the Pillar of Davidson reaching toward him, to grab his hand would make it hard to go down (to succumb to Almighty Fear (Old Bad Eyes) and the ways of The Stallion)

This is exactly what I've always thought, too. I think there are a lot of things going on in this song but the lines you specifically quote I think refer to religious guilt regarding sexuality. I am not religious now, but I was when I was a huge fan of Live and this song was my favorite for exactly that reason.

@Ventifact The “shepherd” is the supervisor keeping the factory sheep in line, so yes, actually, there is a place for the word in the factory analogy (which Ed has already said the song is about — wage slaves).

@Ventifact The “shepherd” is the supervisor keeping the factory sheep in line, so yes, actually, there is a place for the word in the factory analogy (which Ed has already said the song is about — wage slaves).<br /> <br /> Also, the title is about a location in I think Pennsylvania where a Caterpillar factory and Harley Davidson factory are next to each other. Hence “Pillar of Davidson.”

I love this song and believe that it does have religious overtones, and much of it was probably left somewhat elliptical on purpose. Not to act like a 7th grader, but has anyone thought of the possibility that "Locking horns with the stallion" and "Pillar of Davidson feeling [too] hard to go down" might refer to the subject's struggle with sexual urges getting in the way of spirituality, as the subject falls "deeper in love" with the divine, he tries to be honorable "hold my head up" but then feels "cheaper than all the souls he will walk upon" when he cannot successfully conquer his libido...? Maybe I misread it... but I'm loving the discourse! I'm glad I stumbled upon this site.