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.
Leave me alone, it's nothing serious
I'll do it myself, it's got nothing to do with you
And there's nothing that you can do
You can see it and you can almost hear it too
You can almost taste it, it's nothing to do with you
And there's still nothing that you can do
So come in my cave, and I'll burn your hearts away
Come in my cave and I'll burn your hearts away
Please close your ears and try to look away
So you'll never hear a single word I say
And don't ever come my way
Leave me alone, it's nothing serious
I'll do it myself, it's got nothing to do with you
And there's still nothing that you can do
So come in my cave, and I'll burn your hearts away
Come in my cave, and arrest me for my mistakes
I'll do it myself, it's got nothing to do with you
And there's nothing that you can do
You can see it and you can almost hear it too
You can almost taste it, it's nothing to do with you
And there's still nothing that you can do
So come in my cave, and I'll burn your hearts away
Come in my cave and I'll burn your hearts away
Please close your ears and try to look away
So you'll never hear a single word I say
And don't ever come my way
Leave me alone, it's nothing serious
I'll do it myself, it's got nothing to do with you
And there's still nothing that you can do
So come in my cave, and I'll burn your hearts away
Come in my cave, and arrest me for my mistakes
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I´m not sure, if its actually an eating disorder (though it might be), but I agree, that it definitely has to do with mental-health issus and the wish just to hide and somehow to arrange with it all all alone. Though on the other hand there´s always the wish not to be alone and to communicate and to be understood aswell. I believe the "come in my cave and i
ll burn your heart away" indeed means that he wants someone around to share the feelings with - although he doesnt want to show that and thus show vulnerability. Therefore he puts his wish into a thread, so he can be honest without having the risk. Or something like that. smileIn my opinion, this "CAVE" that he speaks ofis all the decisions that he has made and the problems that he caused. Almost like the phrase, "digging yourself into a hole" you know? And the other person that he's singing to, he wants them to come with him and take the fall for him. Hence "it's got nothing to do with you". The situation has nothing to do with the others but he wants them to take the fall. But I could be wrong.
@Invincible500 not what I thought, but an interesting take :)
This song always makes me think of Plato's Cave. Plato was a student of Socrates, and Socrates, an incredible philosopher, was sentenced to death for corrupting the youth. Plato's Cave is often considered allegory for the execution of Socrates. The Cave is about men who have been trapped inside a cave all their lives, seeing only shadows and never real light. One of their number escapes, sees the light of the sun, and the true nature of the world. The man returns to the cave, only to be killed by those who say he speaks heresy. This song is sung by those who are in their cave.
I can see where people are coming from with the eating disorder angle but i think its kind of wider then just eating disorder. could more apply to any mental disorder, well thats how i see it anyway. People are reaching out to them and they refuse to accept any help, thinking in a way i guess that they aren't doing anything hugely wrong. but they know that there actions are being constantly judged
"Come in my cave, and arrest me for my mistakes"
I suppose the meaning changes on the person. one of muses more angsty songs, though id never call muse angsty, they are past that. i just love this song, my favourite song on showbiz
I always thought this song was about manic depression. Perhaps Matt was going through a rough phase in his life and felt he didn't need to be bothered by idiots who'll just piss him off even more.
The lines "please close your ears and try to look away" and "there's nothing you can do" perhaps suggest that the only way to deal with his anger is to let it all out verbally and perhaps physically too. Anyone who tries to 'come in his cave' (ie not mind their own business) will be on the receiving end of his nasty side ("I'll burn your heart away").
"Arrest me for my mistakes" = Sue me for being a little bit messed up. ;)
before i give my opinion of this i'd just like to say that MUSE ROCK AND THEY ARE THE BEST AND MOST TALENTED BAND EVER.anyway, now that's out of my system, i love this song and have always taken it to be about someone who has an eating disorder telling their loved ones to leave them alone, and that even though their friends, family etc can see what it's doing to the person, the person concerned is telling them that they can't do anything about it, and just wants to be left alone- hence the "cave" reference. i dunno, any other suggestions? xxx Lou
"Giving money and power to Government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." -- P.J. O'Rourke
good meaning... you must be right...
by the way : MUSE ROCK !!!!!!!!!!!!! (for sure best band ever !!!)
I think he just wants to seclude himself from society. He doesn't want to be assessed by stupid mofos who don't even know him.
@procrastinatingbum possibly ... although the melancholy music suggests that the theme probably isn't so much he is saying "fuck you" to society but more that he is struggling with life (maybe dreams that he could just live without needing the assessment of society??)
I think this song might have something to do with a relationship described in "Men are from mars women are from venus", as when a man wants to figue out his problems alone and he finds his partner intrusive he goes into his "cave" where according to a chinese story, if a women enters then she will be attacked by the "dragon" guarding it (possibly the burn part?) as the man will resent her for intruding on his personal space. I think this is the case because he is trying to solve a problem (leave me alone, its nothing serious, ill do it myself its got nothing to do with you) by himself and wants to be isolated while he feels the best way to solve it and if he is wrong then he is wrong (arrest me for my mistakes).
Hell yea spuddly, way to make that reference to plato's cave. wut an amazing story.
the theme of plato's cave is that it can be difficult understanding actual reality b/c we get accustomed to thinking that what we see is the only reality there is or that wut we think is reality can be an illusion to people.
and this song "cave" makes several references to plato's story,
"You can see it and you can almost hear it too You can almost taste it,"--- this is how us humans difine wut is reality, by wy using our 5 senses.
"Please close your ears and try to look away"----- in plato's story, a monster propped these people's heads so that they can never move them, hence y the lyrics say, "try to look away" that is why they think that shadows are living creatures, b/c they have never seen the sun b/c their heads are stuck