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.
With the heartbreak open
So much you can't hide
Put on a little makeup, makeup
Make sure they get your good side, good side
If the words unspoken
Get stuck in your throat
Send a treasure token token
Write it on a pound note, pound note
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
We don't follow fashion
That would be a joke
You know we're going to set them, set them
So everyone can take note, take note
When they saw you kneeling
Crying words that you mean
Opening their eyeballs, eyeballs
Pretending that you're Al Green, Al Green
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
No one's gonna tell me
What's wrong or what's right
Or tell me who to eat with sleep with
Or that I've won the big fight, big fight
Look out or they'll tell you
You're a Superstar
Two weeks and you're an all time legend
I think the games have gone much too far
If the words unspoken
It get stuck in your throat
Send a treasure token, token
Write it on a pound note, pound note
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said, don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said no drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said no drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
So much you can't hide
Put on a little makeup, makeup
Make sure they get your good side, good side
If the words unspoken
Get stuck in your throat
Send a treasure token token
Write it on a pound note, pound note
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
We don't follow fashion
That would be a joke
You know we're going to set them, set them
So everyone can take note, take note
When they saw you kneeling
Crying words that you mean
Opening their eyeballs, eyeballs
Pretending that you're Al Green, Al Green
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Goody two, goody two, goody goody two shoes
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
No one's gonna tell me
What's wrong or what's right
Or tell me who to eat with sleep with
Or that I've won the big fight, big fight
Look out or they'll tell you
You're a Superstar
Two weeks and you're an all time legend
I think the games have gone much too far
If the words unspoken
It get stuck in your throat
Send a treasure token, token
Write it on a pound note, pound note
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said, don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said no drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
He said no drink, don't smoke, what do you do?
Don't drink don't smoke, what do you do?
Subtle innuends follow
There must be something inside
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I am probably reading far too much into them but Adam Ant is someone who had a mystical/psychotic experience and there is something about these lyrics, that make me think that they may also be about an altered state of consciousness, or my axe to grind.
A little preamble. Derrida claims that the Western world, our philosophy, religion, and self above all, centre on the experience of hearing oneself speak in ones head. We usually assume that the phoneme are accompanied by ideas which we call to mind via the phonemes, to weigh up the ideas, or practice saying them to others. Derrida however believes that there is no duality (phoneme in the head, plus idea, concept whatever) except in time. We say things to ourselves, and then we hear and react to them. By doing this we create in ourselves a sort of radio play with one actor and two personae who act out a sordid love affair inside our heads. Derrida illustrates this with his book "The Post Card" which appears to be a collection of auto-erotic, homo-erotic, self-addressed, postcards. Derrida links the way in which language gets inside us to the myth of the fall in Genesis.
Adam Ant also named himself Adam after Adam in Genesis and as an ant, some how minute in comparison to that which he had experienced.
The verse
If the words unspoken, Get stuck in your throat Send a treasure token, token, Write it on a pound note, pound note
Remind me of the Fall (Adam's apple stuck in your throat), and Derrida's gambit, comparing words in the mind to those written on post cards.
This verse, seems so straight forward till the final line.
Don't drink don't smoke - what do you do? You don't drink don't smoke - what do you do? Subtle innuendoes follow, There must be something inside
It sounds like he is being asked what he is into. And the subtle innuendoes suggests that he is into sex (as he was, by all accounts) but what is the "There must be something inside" bit? Again, this reminds me of Derrida and the internal love affair.
Then there are some verses that seem to be about fame, but once again, returning to the words stuck in his throat. I am sure that I am reading too much into this!