It feels like there's a lot of symbolism and metaphor in this song that I'm missing, probably of a religious nature. (I was raised entirely nonreligious, I miss a lotta that kinda thing) Some of it's pretty straightforward, but the rest is less so. Anyone know anything about where/when the song came from and/or what, if anything, it means?

Lyrics as sung by David Olney:
Sun burned hot it burned my eyes
Burned so hot I thought I'd died
Thought I'd died and gone to hell
Looking for the water from a deeper well
So I went to the river but the river was dry
I fell to my knees and I looked to the sky
Looked to the sky and the Spring rain fell
I drank the water from a deeper well
Well well well well
I drank the water from a deeper well
Well I fell in love like a baby child
Fell for a touch and I fell for a smile
Smile turned bitter and her touch turned cold
I could not keep what I could not hold
So I ran with the moon and I ran with the night
And the three of us made a terrible sight
Whored and we gambled with the money we'd steal
Looking for the water from a deeper well
Well well well well
Looking for the water from a deeper well
Well the moon got weak and he soon was gone
And the night got sick and he died with the dawn
Died with the dawn with a drink in his hand
Too sick to walk to drunk to stand
Time stood still but I ran wild
And I got my fill with a crooked smile
Woke up on the floor of a jailhouse cell
Looking for the water from a deeper well
Well well well well
Looking for the water from a deeper well
Sun burned hot it burned my eyes
Burned so hot I thought I'd died
Thought I'd died and gone to hell
Looking for the water from a deeper well
So I went to the river but the river was dry
I fell to my knees and I looked to the sky
Looked to the sky and the Spring rain fell
I drank the water from a deeper well
Well well well well
I drank the water from a deeper well


Lyrics as sung by the Wailing Jennys:
The sun burned hot, it burned my eyes
Burned so hot I thought I'd died
Thought I'd died and gone to hell
Lookin' for the water from a deeper well
I went to the river but the river was dry
I fell to my knees an I looked to the sky
I looked to the sky and the spring rain fell
I saw the water from a deeper well

Well...lookin for the water from a deeper well
Well...lookin for the water from a deeper well

I was ready for love I was ready for the money
Ready for the blood and ready for the honey
Ready for the winnin', ready for the bell
Lookin' for the water from a deeper well
I found some love and I found some money
Found that blood would drip from the honey
Found I had a thirst that I could not quell
Lookin' for the water from a deeper well

Well...lookin for the water from a deeper well
Well...lookin for the water from a deeper well

Well I did it for kicks and I did it for faith
I did it for lust and I did it for hate
I did it for need and I did it for love
Addiction stayed on tight like a glove
So I ran with the moon and I ran with the night
And the three of us were a terrible sight
Nipple to the bottle to the gun to the cell
To the bottom of a hole of a deeper well

Well...lookin for the water from a deeper well
Well...lookin for the water from a deeper well

I rocked with the cradle and I rolled with the rage
I shook those walls and I rattled that cage
I took my troubles down a dead-end trail
Reachin' out a hand for a holier grail
Hey there mama did you carry that load
Did you tell your baby 'bout the bend in the road
'Bout the rebel yell 'bout the one that fell
Lookin' for the water from a deeper well

Well...lookin for the water from a deeper well
Well...lookin for the water from a deeper well