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.
Bastard of the cross relentlessly
Strike fear preaching of his coming here
Scriptures, twisted words to provocate
Rapture from the lord your god so great
Bastards of Christ, die
He fucked himself to save you - put to death, masochist
For this his word berate truth - agonized, prophecized
Revive the book of fiction - blasphemy, gluttony, to deceive you and me
In battled disposition - hang the bitch on the cross
Entitle his convictions - blasphemous, lunatic
Your heart is full of hatred - bastards die,
Fuck your Christ, will survive,
Kill yourself, die
Bastard, for your god you compromise
Do without, search the truth you'll never find
Scriptures offer little to relate
Laughter from the lord into your face
Bastards of Christ, die
You think your god will save who - I will see, just believe
You fool, not true, no thank you - enemy of the cross
His word installs deception - pray to god, not for me,
For yourself, soon you'll see
You'll die for your religion - holy shit, pacifist
Untrue with choices given - nothing won, you are dead
Describe the holy vision - blacking out, final breath, meet with death,
Nothingness, die
Strike fear preaching of his coming here
Scriptures, twisted words to provocate
Rapture from the lord your god so great
Bastards of Christ, die
He fucked himself to save you - put to death, masochist
For this his word berate truth - agonized, prophecized
Revive the book of fiction - blasphemy, gluttony, to deceive you and me
In battled disposition - hang the bitch on the cross
Entitle his convictions - blasphemous, lunatic
Your heart is full of hatred - bastards die,
Fuck your Christ, will survive,
Kill yourself, die
Bastard, for your god you compromise
Do without, search the truth you'll never find
Scriptures offer little to relate
Laughter from the lord into your face
Bastards of Christ, die
You think your god will save who - I will see, just believe
You fool, not true, no thank you - enemy of the cross
His word installs deception - pray to god, not for me,
For yourself, soon you'll see
You'll die for your religion - holy shit, pacifist
Untrue with choices given - nothing won, you are dead
Describe the holy vision - blacking out, final breath, meet with death,
Nothingness, die
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Wow, thanks for pointing that out.