I can't speak to the significance of the line as it relates to past songs or anything. I was under the impression that these plastic dashboard Jesusesesesssssssssssssssss''''''''''''''''''' were a relatively new thing inspired by the bobble-heads but for people in the Bible Belt. If there is a more signifcant story behind it then it would make the line bearable, I suppose.

The way I interpreted it was simply to take it in the context of the song. I think it relates to what is in the bridge.

"Oh patron saint of lonely souls
Tell this boy which way to go
Guide the car
You got the keys
Farewell to mediocrity...........Got just enough religion.......gas"

The whole song, driving down the lost highway, is one big metaphor for freedom and the song seems to include a call to "above" for help and guidance to reach a place at the end of the highway, or along the highway (which is kind of ironic because that would irradicate freedom but hey ho, it's not a very clever song), which is happy, pleasent etc. So as he's driving, his plastic dashboard Jesus is always there with him. Or to put it in non-metaphorical means, as he's living his life (now where have we encountered this message before?), he's got God/Jesus/A Guiding Hand there beside him as he lives to help him in his life (...Got just enough religion....).


It's a really terrible line because not only is it contradictory to the message of the song, the other lyrics are really rather well written and heartfelt and they build up to this crescendo point where you're expecting something profound and then you're greated by such an unimaginitively bad metaphor, that unfortunately hurts the overall quality of the song a great deal.

It has to be considered a bad song, the music and vocals are completely uninspired too, but I do lie it . Go figure.