The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Astronaut" by the artist "Wintersleep"

In Wintersleep's "Astronaut", a preacher questions an astronaut about their experience in space, attempting to reconcile it with religious dogma. The preacher's questions are laced with skepticism and a desire to find confirmation of his own beliefs. He assumes space to be a place of loneliness and emptiness ("No one to talk to but the cold, cold air"), where one inevitably confronts existential questions.

The line "Did meaning come born out of that celestial light?" reveals the preacher's eagerness to interpret the astronaut's experience through a religious lens. He seeks evidence of divine intervention, hoping space revealed some higher truth ("Did it pull you in for a conversation?"). The preacher doesn't allow for the possibility that space might be devoid of religious meaning, that the astronaut could return unchanged ("Did it leave you some kind of unspeakable nothing?").

The song takes a sinister turn in the second half. The preacher doubts the astronaut's honesty, suggesting they are hiding something ("Do you really think you're one of them?"). The imagery of persecution, violence, and control ("They'll hunt you down... cut you open and stuff you with sawdust") speaks to the intolerance and cruelty inherent in fanaticism. The preacher believes the astronaut must conform to his expectations, "pay the bills" for their experience by validating his religious beliefs ("Until you say it's all been written down..."). Otherwise, they are branded a deceiver, "swelling up with toxins in the twigs," spreading lies and corrupting minds.

The final line, "In the flicker of the flashing, blinding light...", leaves the listener in suspense. Perhaps it's a metaphor for blinding faith refusing to see the truth, or perhaps a hint that the astronaut did find answers in the "flicker" of space.