The Southside of Heaven by Ryan Bingam Analysis

So, the poem is talking about when the narrator dies. To be put on a train. I've had imaginations of heaven, that there'd be trains. It's an interesting facet of the song. You can find that in City of God. The poem is referring to "Southside of Heaven", the recurring phrase means the Southlands. There's a certain patriotism, and home like quality for southerners with the South. And, the Train is taking him to that Southern Comfort.

Here's a reference to Paul on the road to Damascus. Which, is the line that caused me to write an analysis, as that's expert craftsmanship, to have that allusion. The lost faith is in "Family"... we often have this lost faith, and become disillusioned to our youthful goals of having relationships. We become blind like Paul on the road to Damascus, being smitten by God, and blinded to  our hopes, in order to turn us back.

A refrain, about going to heaven, and losing the hardships of this earth. The earth is hard, it's cold, and for a man who's suffered a lot, it's better to leave this earth, than to call it our home. The song is a ballad about leaving Earth, and returning to the Southern Comfort, or the idyllic Youth.

A desperado in Texas, not getting rain. "Rain" is blessing, in Biblical symbolism---which is what the song is drawing from. Wandering the deserts, not receiving rain is indicative of calling this world hell. The Southside of Heaven, is also a humble plea, to take him to the lowest rungs of heaven, so at least he can be happy.

And here's a reference to Cocaine, the drug use is like a train going off the tracks. Like a train out of control. 

So, we have a "Cold" desert. An interesting play on words, and I wonder if there's some references to Afghanistan... as it's not uncommon for Afghanistan's deserts to get cold. So, it might have some allusions to the Afghanistan war. Coupled with  the drug use, maybe it's a soldier coming home, and wanting to take the train to heaven.

Money can't buy his "Soul". Being rich can't save you. It can't save you from the hell on earth. Only Christ's blood can actually save you. Another one of the lines that made me want to analyze this song. That's two allusions to biblical themes, and I find them well crafted, nuanced, and possibly something many readers will miss. It actually reminds me of a Johnny Cash song, with its craft.

Again with the reference to Cold. The  refrain, it's talking about Cold Deserts---and again, we don't really associate deserts with cold. Normally we associate them with hot. So, it's a sort of reality experience. I think---even if this isn't an anthem of a veteran---a person who's been to Afghanistan, definitely becomes confronted with this odd pairing, which is a complete misalignment of archetypes and popular images. Which, in our experiences, things that don't fit our expectations are often much worse because they're completely alien.

And a repetition of the last refrain.