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Here's a story of an honest man losing religion
Climbing the pulpit steps before an eager congregation
Then while praying came a wicked inspiration
Brothers, sisters, this is what he said:
[Chorus:]
Dearly beloved, dearly beloved, dearly beloved
(Make no mistake, despite our traits I've seldom seen)
I can't relate to you (I can't relate to you), I can't relate to you
He was the kind of guy who'd always go right out of his way
But more before the crazy notion leapt right into his head
And stubbornly crept into every mad perception
I can't deny a funny feeling when he said:
[Chorus]
Dearest in memoriam, set phasers to stun
And grab yourself a neighbor's skeleton to lean upon
Did you know him in life - one filled with regret
So soon we all forget we ever met
Do you know my name; sing a light refrain
For a man estranged; I won't deny that I'm inclined to isolate
Dearly beloved, dearly beloved, dearly beloved (I can't relate)
I can't relate to you
(I can't relate to you)
I can't relate to you
(I can't relate to you)
I can't relate to you
(I can't relate to you)
I can't relate to you
Climbing the pulpit steps before an eager congregation
Then while praying came a wicked inspiration
Brothers, sisters, this is what he said:
[Chorus:]
Dearly beloved, dearly beloved, dearly beloved
(Make no mistake, despite our traits I've seldom seen)
I can't relate to you (I can't relate to you), I can't relate to you
He was the kind of guy who'd always go right out of his way
But more before the crazy notion leapt right into his head
And stubbornly crept into every mad perception
I can't deny a funny feeling when he said:
[Chorus]
Dearest in memoriam, set phasers to stun
And grab yourself a neighbor's skeleton to lean upon
Did you know him in life - one filled with regret
So soon we all forget we ever met
Do you know my name; sing a light refrain
For a man estranged; I won't deny that I'm inclined to isolate
Dearly beloved, dearly beloved, dearly beloved (I can't relate)
I can't relate to you
(I can't relate to you)
I can't relate to you
(I can't relate to you)
I can't relate to you
(I can't relate to you)
I can't relate to you
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it specifically correct.
My first thought when reading over it was it being about a priest, preacher, pastor, or minister, or
whatnot... slowly doubting the connections he shares with the congregation... and to a stunning
discovery of this, he feels more and more incredibly distant from these people that he speaks out to..
The "pulpit" is the obvious clue that its about a religious leader or something close
like a post above said... he's beginning to doubt whether or not these people even see him for who he
is.. and eventually he needs to depart from these people... and isolate.
I'm pretty sure that's as close as it gets from what the lyrics give, despite any references the
writer is making implicitly that we don't know about..
Now, I'll go out on a limb here, just a thought..
It could be a story about the backround of the life of the Preacher in "The grapes of Wrath."
Its feasible since this album makes references to the book. The Preacher was a character, that the main character Tom met again walking home after he got out of jail. Tom was a child when the preacher was serving the church, and now Tom runs across him once again when he's grown up. The preacher had abandoned the parish a while back, for seemingly the same reason this song depicts. And so the preacher formed a companionship with Tom and ventured with him and the Joad family out to California....
mainly, that moment you finally separate yourself from the herd and figure out that lemmings running through their life with prescribed futures isn't for everyone, or really anyone.
Although manicspike has the meaning almost pinned, this group the protagonist is leaving and slowly becoming more isolated from could indeed be a religion as the song states, or just a gang of people holding commonly held beliefs. It's hammering home the same point as 'Lost Pilgrim', that in our apparent 'liberal' societies, for the most part if you break away from the mainstream beliefs then you are cast out as a pariah. Whether or not you are happy with this decision may vary, because the beliefs that the group held could seem completely wrong or irrelevant to you, but take a Christian parish as an example. You were raised your entire life in a small town to a religious education and parents, and all of a sudden as a young adult you begin to question all of the things that your entire life you were told 'just were'. (Probably in some part due to listening to Bad Religion...) After this, you can never look on the same group of people you have grown up with the same way again, whether or not they still accept you, because in your heart you believe what they are doing is wrong, and in their hearts they believe that what you are doing is wrong. The social situation of any group is completely changed when a few, or just a single member of a tight group starts to think autonomously and question their common beliefs.
originally i actually thought the song was about politicians and other leaders who pretend to be able to associate and sympathize with the masses by claiming to be one of them. it seems like manicspike's analysis fits better though.