This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
[intro/gutter]
I once,
Dreamed of a world ...
Without consequences,
Without reminders ...
Of this
Brutal,
Gutter
I am collapsed in.
Once I dreamed,
But then ... I ... woke ... up.
[song]
...open wide, look inside
At my autopsy
I feel like a woman
I feel like I care
I feel like I shouldn't
I feel like a child of despair
I feel like it's over
I feel like it's coming after me
I feel like it's closer
I feel like this is all I'll ever be
I feel like a failure
I feel like a hungry parasite
I feel like a razor
I feel like a prayer lost in flight
I feel like ...
I'm hopeless
I'm afraid I'm a slave
I'm weak & average
I feel like a hammer
I feel like a nail
I feel like I'm guilty
I feel like the wrist that it impales
I feel like a butcher
I feel like I'm being deceived
I feel like a beautiful loser
I feel like all you sheep are laughing AT ME!!
OPEN WIDE
LOOK INSIDE
AT MY AUTOPSY.
Look inside open wide
Look inside open wide
I feel I'm a complete waste of time
I feel I'm transparent
I feel like I can't escape my mind.
I once,
Dreamed of a world ...
Without consequences,
Without reminders ...
Of this
Brutal,
Gutter
I am collapsed in.
Once I dreamed,
But then ... I ... woke ... up.
[song]
...open wide, look inside
At my autopsy
I feel like a woman
I feel like I care
I feel like I shouldn't
I feel like a child of despair
I feel like it's over
I feel like it's coming after me
I feel like it's closer
I feel like this is all I'll ever be
I feel like a failure
I feel like a hungry parasite
I feel like a razor
I feel like a prayer lost in flight
I feel like ...
I'm hopeless
I'm afraid I'm a slave
I'm weak & average
I feel like a hammer
I feel like a nail
I feel like I'm guilty
I feel like the wrist that it impales
I feel like a butcher
I feel like I'm being deceived
I feel like a beautiful loser
I feel like all you sheep are laughing AT ME!!
OPEN WIDE
LOOK INSIDE
AT MY AUTOPSY.
Look inside open wide
Look inside open wide
I feel I'm a complete waste of time
I feel I'm transparent
I feel like I can't escape my mind.
Lyrics submitted by buried alive
Autopsy Song Lyrics as written by Otep Shamaya Greg Wells
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
It's a personal look into Otep's feelings fears and emotions. I say its her most personal song every.
I agree with BattleReadyHarlot. This song is about Oteps emotions etc. Its her autopsy song. so open wide and look inside.
i fucking love this song.. holy shit, no other words can explain how i feel about her.... But most of all, i love how she screams the word 'ME' for 13 seconds... i was like: "holy mother fucking shit, she fucking kicks ass!"
She's doing what all brilliant musicians do...she's opening up her heart and emotions and writing/singing/screaming them through her music. Yes, Otep is a goddess.
I feel like this is Otep expressing feelings of betrayal and resentment of the "sheep" that she is forced to be around everyday. The "sheep" mock her simply because she's different. She also has feelings of being persecuted and wanting power. These depressing feelings keep building and building until she starts to lose grip on her sanity. By writing this song she is showing people her "autopsy" or all of her inside emotions that she couldn't express before.
I think this is about those periods of self-doubt, paranoia and insecurity that we all go through at some point.
She's dissecting herself, looking into her deepest feelings about the world around her. It's quiet at first, and eventually the tension builds and explodes. Her inner world an inner spasm of sadness, then anger over everything.