What the guy above said is true for the most post. Just he was not as in depth as I'll be. The song is basically Maynard talking to either someone in real life directly or just about a recovering drug addict in general.
" So glad to see you well
Overcome and completely silent "
This is the beggining of the song it is Maynard saying he's glad to see the person doing well and the person overcame the drug addiction but the person isn't talking back.
Possibly because the person is ignoring him.
"Now with heaven's help
You cast your demons out "
These lyrics are basically saying with religion's help the person overcame his or her drug addiction. (The 12 step drug/alcohol program says to use God's help to cure yourself)
"And not to pull your halo down
Around your neck and tug you off your cloud
But I'm more than just a little curious
How you're plannin' to go about makin' your amends
To the dead "
This is Maynard saying sarcastically that he's not trying to take him off his new found spiritual ego trip or anything (which he really is) but a recovering alcoholic has to make amends with those he hurt (step 9) and he's curious how he can do that to those that aren't alive anymore.
Then he tells him:
"Recall the deeds as if they're all
Someone else's
Atrocious stories "
Which is Maynard saying the person did many atrocious things yet the guy doesn't seem to realize he was the one who did those bad things, he thinks of it as someone else doing the damaging things he in fact did.
"Now you stand reborn
Before us all
So glad to see you well "
But the guy is now reborn thanks to god so the past deeds don't matter to the guy apparently so Maynard sarcastically says so glad to see you well.
Then he goes back sarcastically saying yet again:
"And not to pull your halo down
Around your neck and tug you to the ground"
Which one can figure out.
"But I'm more than just a little curious
How you're plannin' to go about makin' your amends
To the dead
With your halo slippin' down
Your halo slippin'
Your halo slippin' down
Your halo slippin' down
Your halo slippin' down
(I'm more than just a little curious
How you're plannin' to go about makin' your amends)
[repeated]
Your halo slippin' down
Your halo slippin' down to choke you now "
This is Maynard saying the guy is slipping as far as recovery. He's turning back to drugs and he's curious how he can go about making his amends in general now instead of his earlier saying just to the dead since one can't advance in the addiction program if they are doing drugs. And the last line saying his halo's slipping down to choke him is basically Maynard saying the guy has relapsed and his new found morality is gone.
