So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Loopy says he likes it up on top
Yes he knows if he ever lets go
The pretty machine will swallow him whole
He has no fear
He has no sense of shame
He will not stop until everybody everywhere wants to know his name
The one hit wonder
He likes the big time
He says he wants to live the kind of life
That will make the folks back home all bitch and whine
He knows if he ever even gets the chance
He'd sell his soul to make the monster dance
They can't hurt you unless you let them
Loopy says he sure does like the good life
Yes he knows all those women who scheme
Are just pretty pictures in the pretty machine
He knows if he ever even gets to try
He will bite down hard to make the monster cry
He knows if he ever even gets a chance
He'd sell his soul to make the monster dance
They can't hurt you unless you let them
I will say it again
They cannot hurt you unless you let them
Loopy says he likes it up on top
He prays to god and he hopes like hell
That the pretty machine
They will never fail
He has no fear
He doesn't really even have the time
He knows that the world is in love
With the pretty machine
The one hit wonder
He likes the big time
He wants to live the kind of life
That will make the folks back home scream, bitch, and whine
He knows if he ever even gets to try
He will bite down hard to make the monster cry
He knows if he ever even gets a chance
He'd sell his soul to make the monster dance
He knows if he ever even gets to play
He will stomp like god to make the monster say
They can't hurt you unless you let them
They cannot hurt you unless you let them
Yes he knows if he ever lets go
The pretty machine will swallow him whole
He has no fear
He has no sense of shame
He will not stop until everybody everywhere wants to know his name
The one hit wonder
He likes the big time
He says he wants to live the kind of life
That will make the folks back home all bitch and whine
He knows if he ever even gets the chance
He'd sell his soul to make the monster dance
They can't hurt you unless you let them
Loopy says he sure does like the good life
Yes he knows all those women who scheme
Are just pretty pictures in the pretty machine
He knows if he ever even gets to try
He will bite down hard to make the monster cry
He knows if he ever even gets a chance
He'd sell his soul to make the monster dance
They can't hurt you unless you let them
I will say it again
They cannot hurt you unless you let them
Loopy says he likes it up on top
He prays to god and he hopes like hell
That the pretty machine
They will never fail
He has no fear
He doesn't really even have the time
He knows that the world is in love
With the pretty machine
The one hit wonder
He likes the big time
He wants to live the kind of life
That will make the folks back home scream, bitch, and whine
He knows if he ever even gets to try
He will bite down hard to make the monster cry
He knows if he ever even gets a chance
He'd sell his soul to make the monster dance
He knows if he ever even gets to play
He will stomp like god to make the monster say
They can't hurt you unless you let them
They cannot hurt you unless you let them
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
One Hit Wonder Lyrics as written by Craig Montoya Art Alexakis
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I read somewhere that this is the song that Alan Webb (kid who brok Jim Ryun's 30+ year old highschool mile record of 3:55 with a 3:53, and is basically the messiah of American distance running) listens to before he races. I don't particularly like this song, but I can understand why runners would, b/c it has a steady rhythm(sp?).