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've been waiting for so long
I've been hoping your love's not gone
Houses are sliding in the mud
Rivers are raging in your blood
Where would I be without your love?
Where would I be without your arms around me?
You want to be the only one
If I knew you I would not run
You have been cloudy, distant, dark
I'm thinking of Noah and the ark
Where would I be without your love?
Where would I be without your arms around me?
Where would I be without your love?
Where would I be without your arms around me?
I've been hoping your love's not gone
Houses are sliding in the mud
Rivers are raging in your blood
Where would I be without your love?
Where would I be without your arms around me?
You want to be the only one
If I knew you I would not run
You have been cloudy, distant, dark
I'm thinking of Noah and the ark
Where would I be without your love?
Where would I be without your arms around me?
Where would I be without your love?
Where would I be without your arms around me?
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
I think this is a love song to the environment, or "mother nature". Rivers are the veins of the earth, and so "rivers are raging in your blood" backs this up.
It just doesn't feel religious, and it's definitely not about a woman.
That's funny.
Heh, man I hope Wrapid's kidding. I really think this is sort of an apology song, Sounds like he left his girl ("if i knew you i would not run" maybe read it like "if i had known you, i would not have run"?), which clearly made her mad at him ("rivers are raging in your blood" "you have been cloudy, distant, dark"). But now he's waited some time to hopefully let her cool off, but he hopes it wasn't too long, and that her love hasn't completly faded ("i've been waiting for so long, i've been hoping your love's not gone"). The lines: "you have been cloudy, distant, dark i'm thinking of noah and the ark"
Show that she's angry at him (metaphor of a storm, maybe even a flood of anger, which also explains the mudslide mentioned in "houses are sliding in the mud"), but he still has hope that they can work it out(like Noah building the ark to survive the storm/flood) which is an amazing metaphor comparison if you ask me. Anyone else with comments on this song??
great stuff!! i think it´s about any close person in your life you had a serious quarrel with, you are very angry at that person, but at some point you realize, that without that person you wouldnt be the one you are right now. but the line "you were to be the only one" makes me think that it´s more the boy/girl split sonnydj is talking about.
Maybe about coming to terms with God.
The more I listen to this song, the more I believe it's about God/Jesus than about a girl. First of all, when was the last time Cake made a song that actually meant what it sounds like on the surface? The Noah's Ark reference is also key, and the line "You want to be the only one"
I really think this is about God.
to me this song perfectly describes my rock relationship with my religion and god.
to me it's about, like someone else said, coming to terms with god. there's sort of a reference to a prodigal son-esque thing with "i've been hoping your love's not gone". the feeling of not being worthy of god's love and feeling like you are too depraved to be loved.
the next part refers to the ancient problem of evil. natural disasters happen and the writer sees suffering and the rivers 'raging' in god's blood. the idea of an angry and malevolent god. but then he retracts this in the chorus saying "where would i be without your love" and "your arms around me" saying despite these bad things that happen, perhaps it's not your doing, but it's your love that keeps me sane through all this trial.
in the second verse he says "you want to be the center of my life" ad meiorem dei gloriam. you want me to do all things for your good. the next line is questioning his faith. i believe but sometimes that feels like it isn't enough. if i KNEW you i wouldn't run, but you've been "cloudy" and occasionally in my life you've been "distant and dark" so i'm incapable of truly knowing you. and he again harkens back to the idea of god's wrath, this time more specifically with a reference to noah and the ark where of course god purified the world through killing the evil people who were still people.
then he comes around again saying despite the evil, i don't think it's your fault, and you, god, are the only thing that can get me through. i'd be lost without god.
i think Primus, here, is spot on. =)
Wrapid seems to just be finding something to relate it to.
This could be about God or a woman really... It's hard to ascertain the precise meaning of the song, but perhaps that was his purpose. I lean more towards spirituality. He uses a lot of biblical references in his songs. This leads me to believe that religion had a big influence on him at some point in his life, maybe as a child. Now you can be spiritual without believing in the dogma of religion (I am).
"you were to be the only one if i knew you i would not run you have been cloudy, distant, dark i'm thinking of noah and the ark" That last line is what he convinced me it was about God. God flooded the world with torrential rains, killing all life but Noah and his animals. Fairly depressing stuff. I think he's pointing out that he struggled to know God, but that religion made it so difficult because of the horrible stories. But I could be completely wrong, and he intended it to be about a woman... Fun to think about!
I feel like this song is brief and vague for a reason, and all of you could be right. It seems like one of those songs that are more about the writer expressing a deep, perhaps even abstract emotion, while making it relate-able to its listeners for a broad spectrum of issues in one's own life. Very well-done. This being said, the tune of the song is very melancholy so it is not too vague.