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.
In the year of our Lord
Call it 1994
A fine vintage of mimicry
There are those that take their sound
From someone else's toil
Liking to parrots you see
I've seen the likes of Kate Bush
And Van Morrison
Teaching the parrots to sing
Take a Zeppelin riff
And you alter it a bit
And make lots of money
It's called plagiarism
You want some of that cheese
Just take a big ol' bite
Careful not to choke on it please
Now here we go
It's called plagiarism
Call it 1994
A fine vintage of mimicry
There are those that take their sound
From someone else's toil
Liking to parrots you see
I've seen the likes of Kate Bush
And Van Morrison
Teaching the parrots to sing
Take a Zeppelin riff
And you alter it a bit
And make lots of money
It's called plagiarism
You want some of that cheese
Just take a big ol' bite
Careful not to choke on it please
Now here we go
It's called plagiarism
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I don't think they were saying anything about "the lord of 1994" at all - "the year of our lord 1994" is just another way of saying "1994 A.D.", since "Anno Domini" is Latin for "in the year of our Lord".
I think the meaning of the song has otherwise been covered, but I always thought the part about "Kate Bush and Van Morrison teaching the parrots to sing" was a veiled reference to specific popular bands ripping those particular artists off. Given that this was released in 1995, I'd guess Les would be talking about Tori Amos and... The Counting Crows, maybe?