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.
I'm just bein' real, you know
I'm like the sun, I'm tryin' to shine on everybody
You know what I'm sayin'
But it's like situation after situation, you know
So I write about it to get it off my chest, you heard
Dear mama, you wouldn't believe what I'm goin' through
But still I got my head up just like I promised you
Every since you left your baby, boy's been dealin' with
Problem after problem, tell me what am I supposed to do
See, I get lost sometimes, don't understand this place
Look in the mirror sometimes and see a troubled face
And then my tears roll down and hit the sink
Then I hold my head up high, I hope the Man upstairs can hear my cry
All these questions deep inside my mind
Like if Jesus loved me, why he leave my side, mama
I'm still tryin' to get the answer why
You were young, 45, and you had to die
I'm always tryin' to help people out
And it's them same people tryin' to take food out my mouth
(Fo' real tho') It seems like the more money I make
(Fo' real tho') The more drama y'all try to create
(Fo' real tho') And through I try to move into the positive
(Fo' real tho') The more y'all don't want to let me live
When will you realize that I don't owe you nothin'
Need to get up off your butt and go get your own somethin'
I'm pullin' on my hair to keep from snappin' off
Fools ride up in my camp and be actin' off
Somebody out there please pray what I'm talkin' 'bout
Still young tryin' to figure it out
Heaven, I need a hug
Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Feelin' like a change of heart
And all I really need is a sign or a word from God
So shower down on me, wet me with your love
I need you to take me and lift me up, oh, yeah
I gave 13 years of my life to this industry
Hit song or not, I've given all of me
You smile in my face and tell me that you love
But then before you know the truth, you're so quick to judge me
That's alright, go ahead, keep talkin'
'Cause I'ma hold my head up high and keep walkin'
And reach for the sky, focus on the plan
Rescue the kid with his paper a pen
And this is for the homies that we lost
Yo', we cannot forget y'all, so the hats come off
We pour a little liquor out for the memory
I know y'all up there sittin' on chrome in them pearly streets
The street survivors before careful, stay alive
I'm prayin' for your families, I hope you pray for mine
(Fo' real tho') Used to be a time you wished me well
(Fo' real tho') It hurts to know you want to see me fail
(Fo' real tho') And don't forget I kept you out of jail
(Fo' real tho') Where's my arms when you needed to be held
They turn they backs on you, who was there believin'
Who said your troubles were only for a season
In church together tryin' to pick up all the pieces
And now you betray me, I bind you in the name of Jesus
Somebody please pray what I'm talkin' 'bout
Still young tryin' to figure it all out
Heaven, I need a hug
Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Feelin' like a change of heart
And all I really need is a sign or a word from God
(Please shower down)
So shower down on me, wet me with your love (Yeah)
I need you to take me and lift me up (Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Man, I tell you it's enough to make you want to give it up
Thank God for my fans 'cause through it all they show me love
To my sister and to brothers
Tell me why can't we just try to get along with one another
And stop hurtin' one another, fightin' one another
Man, I pray to God He get my family back together
Let me see what want to see, just to blind me
All of these luxuries, wine and dining
And then You push me out in front to get behind me
Then You sat me up by blessin' me to bind me
I'm a grown man with kids now, stakes are high
Gotta go to church now to avoid the fight
Frankly, y'all to keep it real I'm just tired
Have dreams of bein' dead, but the devil is alive
(Fo' real tho') Church folks, you need to stop judgin'
(Fo' real tho') Or you will be the first to be judged
(Fo' real tho') And women stop dependin' on us men
(Fo' real tho') And start dependin' on the Man above, feel me
And as for robbin', here's what I need to do
Get rid of them clowns and get myself a whole 'nother crew
Media, do your job
But please just don't make my job so hard
Somebody please pray what I'm talkin' 'bout
I'm still young tryin' to figure it all out
Heaven, I need a hug
Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Feelin' like a change of heart
And all I really need is a sign or a word from God
So shower down on me (Shower down on me now), wet me with your love
I need you to take me (Please) and lift me up, yeah,
Yeah (Said I'm callin' on heaven)
Heaven, I need a hug
Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Feelin' like a change of heart
And all I really need is a sign or a word from God
So shower down on me, wet me with your love
I need you to take me and lift me up (Lift me up),
Yeah, yeah (Heaven I need)
Heaven, I need a hug (Ooh, yeah, yeah)
Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Said I'm Feelin' like a change of heart (Hey)
And all I really need is a sign or a word from God (Ooh, yeah)
So shower down on me (Shower down), wet me with your love (Take me)
I need you to take me and lift me up, yeah, yeah
I'm like the sun, I'm tryin' to shine on everybody
You know what I'm sayin'
But it's like situation after situation, you know
So I write about it to get it off my chest, you heard
Dear mama, you wouldn't believe what I'm goin' through
But still I got my head up just like I promised you
Every since you left your baby, boy's been dealin' with
Problem after problem, tell me what am I supposed to do
See, I get lost sometimes, don't understand this place
Look in the mirror sometimes and see a troubled face
And then my tears roll down and hit the sink
Then I hold my head up high, I hope the Man upstairs can hear my cry
All these questions deep inside my mind
Like if Jesus loved me, why he leave my side, mama
I'm still tryin' to get the answer why
You were young, 45, and you had to die
I'm always tryin' to help people out
And it's them same people tryin' to take food out my mouth
(Fo' real tho') It seems like the more money I make
(Fo' real tho') The more drama y'all try to create
(Fo' real tho') And through I try to move into the positive
(Fo' real tho') The more y'all don't want to let me live
When will you realize that I don't owe you nothin'
Need to get up off your butt and go get your own somethin'
I'm pullin' on my hair to keep from snappin' off
Fools ride up in my camp and be actin' off
Somebody out there please pray what I'm talkin' 'bout
Still young tryin' to figure it out
Heaven, I need a hug
Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Feelin' like a change of heart
And all I really need is a sign or a word from God
So shower down on me, wet me with your love
I need you to take me and lift me up, oh, yeah
I gave 13 years of my life to this industry
Hit song or not, I've given all of me
You smile in my face and tell me that you love
But then before you know the truth, you're so quick to judge me
That's alright, go ahead, keep talkin'
'Cause I'ma hold my head up high and keep walkin'
And reach for the sky, focus on the plan
Rescue the kid with his paper a pen
And this is for the homies that we lost
Yo', we cannot forget y'all, so the hats come off
We pour a little liquor out for the memory
I know y'all up there sittin' on chrome in them pearly streets
The street survivors before careful, stay alive
I'm prayin' for your families, I hope you pray for mine
(Fo' real tho') Used to be a time you wished me well
(Fo' real tho') It hurts to know you want to see me fail
(Fo' real tho') And don't forget I kept you out of jail
(Fo' real tho') Where's my arms when you needed to be held
They turn they backs on you, who was there believin'
Who said your troubles were only for a season
In church together tryin' to pick up all the pieces
And now you betray me, I bind you in the name of Jesus
Somebody please pray what I'm talkin' 'bout
Still young tryin' to figure it all out
Heaven, I need a hug
Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Feelin' like a change of heart
And all I really need is a sign or a word from God
(Please shower down)
So shower down on me, wet me with your love (Yeah)
I need you to take me and lift me up (Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Man, I tell you it's enough to make you want to give it up
Thank God for my fans 'cause through it all they show me love
To my sister and to brothers
Tell me why can't we just try to get along with one another
And stop hurtin' one another, fightin' one another
Man, I pray to God He get my family back together
Let me see what want to see, just to blind me
All of these luxuries, wine and dining
And then You push me out in front to get behind me
Then You sat me up by blessin' me to bind me
I'm a grown man with kids now, stakes are high
Gotta go to church now to avoid the fight
Frankly, y'all to keep it real I'm just tired
Have dreams of bein' dead, but the devil is alive
(Fo' real tho') Church folks, you need to stop judgin'
(Fo' real tho') Or you will be the first to be judged
(Fo' real tho') And women stop dependin' on us men
(Fo' real tho') And start dependin' on the Man above, feel me
And as for robbin', here's what I need to do
Get rid of them clowns and get myself a whole 'nother crew
Media, do your job
But please just don't make my job so hard
Somebody please pray what I'm talkin' 'bout
I'm still young tryin' to figure it all out
Heaven, I need a hug
Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Feelin' like a change of heart
And all I really need is a sign or a word from God
So shower down on me (Shower down on me now), wet me with your love
I need you to take me (Please) and lift me up, yeah,
Yeah (Said I'm callin' on heaven)
Heaven, I need a hug
Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Feelin' like a change of heart
And all I really need is a sign or a word from God
So shower down on me, wet me with your love
I need you to take me and lift me up (Lift me up),
Yeah, yeah (Heaven I need)
Heaven, I need a hug (Ooh, yeah, yeah)
Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Said I'm Feelin' like a change of heart (Hey)
And all I really need is a sign or a word from God (Ooh, yeah)
So shower down on me (Shower down), wet me with your love (Take me)
I need you to take me and lift me up, yeah, yeah
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More Featured Meanings
Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
Well, in my opinion this song is about being a young & maybe a little naive &/or introverted girl and finding yourself loving a man who is at first very charming, carefree & outgoing, and seems at first to be without limits, as in
"There was a time
you opened up every doorway
you didn't mind if everything
wasn't your way"
then that man starts to gradually become more introverted & shows their more possessive/obsessive side to you as the relationship progresses, even while they keep up the appearance of being carefree & outgoing to everyone else,
"Don't pull away
that goes against what you told me
I look in your eyes
I realize what you've sold me
is love in a vacuum"
so you confront them about the way they're acting and of course they deny it,
"I think you've changed
but you insist that
that's not true"
quite possibly they are an addict of some sort, my guess would be cocaine, &/or showing very obsessive behavior towards you (early on in the video for this song we see the man hanging a picture up, it is a very large portrait of Aimee & it is prominently displayed in his/their apartment for the duration of the song), thus their "love in a vacuum",
"You look so strange, so distant
that you're hardly you
Now I can see
how you have been acting different
You say it's me
but I know
that it isn't
it's love in a vacuum"
but still you are in love with them and don't want to leave them and you know that they are truly in love with you and they don't want you to leave them either, maybe they are convinced you can save them from themself, maybe they are so broken that the possibility of an overdose &/or suicide attempt is very real and you want to get through to them that their behavior not only dangerous but it is also just pissing you off and if they don't wise up they run the risk of loosing you, as in the lines
"You will be lonely
if you leave me alone", so you want to save them but can't get through to them due to the addiction &/or emotional problems they have,
"Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
love in a vacuum
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
You will be lonely
if you leave me alone
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough"
you want them to understand that the love they are giving you is not enough when it is filtered through the vacuum of their drug addiction &/or emotional impairment,
"You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough
and just wait
you will be lonely
Love in a vacuum
Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
Love in a vacuum".
'Love In A Vacuum' for me is a hauntingly truthful acute argument on the loneliness of obsession and almost inevitable loss of love that follows people who are broken in some way or another; the obsessives, the coke heads, the drunks, addicts or the just-plain-old emotionally broken; a razor sharp, lyrically driven, deceptively poppy, yet ultimately-depressing-in-the-best-way song.
Quintessential Aimee Mann.
Show Me a Little Shame
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
He certainly did earn that reputation.
The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I like some of his music but.. the man pisses on 13 year olds. That's fucked up.