Exactly this. It also lacks the gravity of an entire concept album preceding it and two minutes of static death sounds at the end. It's a sanitized cover of a song that shouldn't be sanitized.

I think it's similar, I think the thorns are the pain of regret that he wears for all that he has done. The crown of shit is similar in that it's worthless, he's a king of nothing.

He absolutely did and it's an unpopular opinion because you're positing that a song man who'd been in the business for 50 years couldn't understand the meaning.

He changed the line because of his faith, mostly.