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.
5-4-3-2-1 let's start a fire.
burn this town from inside out
until no one's left alive.
and you can’t feel the rhythm of your steps
when you hit the street the city seems so far away from here
when you’re counting every step
5-4-3-2 what are you waiting for?
the train is catching up
keep on running - don’t look back.
'cause it's 10-9-8-7 everybody’s coming to burn this city, burn this city down tonight and leave it all behind
all his life he lived in this same house same white fence surrounding him,
he swore he would get out but he can’t because his foot got caught in between the rails,
and all his friends are up ahead they can’t hear him yelling (yelling for some help) and it’s much too late to
call the doctor now this town is full of sympathies we’re drowning in it all
5-4-3-2 What are you waiting for?
the train is catching up
keep on running - don’t look back.
'cause it's 10-9-8-7 everybody’s coming to burn this city, burn this city down tonight and leave it all behind.
is that the sound of the gate coming down?
no flashing lights, no warning?
when we press our ears to the ground we feel the shake but it’s under the skin, so we wilt like violets and can’t get up to put the petals in their place
5-4-3-2 What are you waiting for?
burn this town from inside out
until no one's left alive.
and you can’t feel the rhythm of your steps
when you hit the street the city seems so far away from here
when you’re counting every step
5-4-3-2 what are you waiting for?
the train is catching up
keep on running - don’t look back.
'cause it's 10-9-8-7 everybody’s coming to burn this city, burn this city down tonight and leave it all behind
all his life he lived in this same house same white fence surrounding him,
he swore he would get out but he can’t because his foot got caught in between the rails,
and all his friends are up ahead they can’t hear him yelling (yelling for some help) and it’s much too late to
call the doctor now this town is full of sympathies we’re drowning in it all
5-4-3-2 What are you waiting for?
the train is catching up
keep on running - don’t look back.
'cause it's 10-9-8-7 everybody’s coming to burn this city, burn this city down tonight and leave it all behind.
is that the sound of the gate coming down?
no flashing lights, no warning?
when we press our ears to the ground we feel the shake but it’s under the skin, so we wilt like violets and can’t get up to put the petals in their place
5-4-3-2 What are you waiting for?
Lyrics submitted by xsaint2sinnerx
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I just think Geoff may have lost his writing prowess, well actually judging from the At This Velocity Demos that is completely untrue, but just look at these lyrics thery're totally uninspired.Maybe not completely but it pales in comparison to the rest of Thursday's material. Also I belives it's wilt like violets, which are prone to wilt, they are sensitive