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.
When I came down the dawn poured into me
I shook em up, the walls came crumbling
My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds
My stolen gold inside the emperors tomb
Now painting rainbows on my ugly face
I built this cardboard neighborhoods disgrace
But I ascend and serve my feverish need
Within the confines of such chemistry
It's the way I see
Everything I need
It's no way to be
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
My face blew up at such a casual sight
The smattered colors of ecstatic fright
The rush above me to oblivion
Outlining wet sidewalks in halogen
Oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong
How come it takes some people so damn long
He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain
The citrus drawing out the scene in stains
Watch the basin drain
As your life lines wane
And you cant explain
As your friends complain
You've caused all this pain
And you proudly shame
Your whole families name
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Mother I can tell what you've been thinking
Staring at the stars on your ceiling
Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding
And now I've hit the mark
Stabbing at the dark
And I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars
Let this be our little secret
No-one needs to know we're feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up and keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
I shook em up, the walls came crumbling
My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds
My stolen gold inside the emperors tomb
Now painting rainbows on my ugly face
I built this cardboard neighborhoods disgrace
But I ascend and serve my feverish need
Within the confines of such chemistry
It's the way I see
Everything I need
It's no way to be
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
My face blew up at such a casual sight
The smattered colors of ecstatic fright
The rush above me to oblivion
Outlining wet sidewalks in halogen
Oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong
How come it takes some people so damn long
He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain
The citrus drawing out the scene in stains
Watch the basin drain
As your life lines wane
And you cant explain
As your friends complain
You've caused all this pain
And you proudly shame
Your whole families name
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Mother I can tell what you've been thinking
Staring at the stars on your ceiling
Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding
And now I've hit the mark
Stabbing at the dark
And I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars
Let this be our little secret
No-one needs to know we're feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up and keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
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all of you who don't see how this song in blatantly and obviously about IV drug use must just be extremely naive to the culture and activities that go along with that kind of life. the references in this song aren't even hidden, he speaks openly in the song about his track marks, the disgrace from his family and friends, and this is the line that really gives it away; "He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain", the idea being that some people will try to prepare their shot using lemon juice or other citrus to try and draw out more opiates than water preparation.