I Shall Be Released

Bad news. He's not innocent. Worse news, neither is the singer (since he and the actor are the same). Worst news, neither are you. First, he has no forgiveness of anyone else and wants revenge (I remember every face of every man who put me here). He knows he can't make good on what he has done (they say everything....(but I know) that every distance is not near (as in within his capacity).

You see, when one is in a lonely crowd (that is the entirety of humanity) the only voice you hear really is your own. He's always told himself he has only done wrong to protect himself (as in "they deserve it"), others are worse, they set him up....

He has finally heard himself. And now he sees himself as just another sinner, stuck in that "lonely crowd". Only now can he reject the beliefs of the lonely crowd when he realizes he too has fallen - fallen for the lie that to fall is natural and fear and loathing to be accepted. Only the rejection of the past - the mentality that seeks revenge "every man who put me here", that demands compensation "everything can be replaced", assigns blame "a man who swears he's not to blame" and the acceptance of current reality leads to a righteous life. Man is called to something higher than that.

The speaker knows in his heart he is better than all that. If only in death. He has the same death sentence as the rest of us, but since he has now realized his role in sin, he accepts it and intends to follow the righteous path.