The first verse is an English hymnal that Bruce learned in school. The second verse begins with the "babe in a black abyss" being a human in a hopeless world. The hanged man was a symbol of luck. "The venom tears my spine" relates to belief that during o*m there is a snake called Kundalini that lives at the base of your spine and it releases venom through your spine and up into your brain to promote union with god. I'm not really sure what the last verse is about.