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.
Some folks are born, made to wave the flag
Ooh, their red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail to the Chief"
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no senator's son, son
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no
Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, y'all
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yeah
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no
Yeah, yeah
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask 'em, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer "More! More! More!", Y'all
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no military son, son
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, one
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no, no, no
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no fortunate son, no, no, no
Ooh, their red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail to the Chief"
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no senator's son, son
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no
Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, y'all
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yeah
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no
Yeah, yeah
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask 'em, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer "More! More! More!", Y'all
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no military son, son
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, one
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no, no, no
It ain't me
It ain't me
I ain't no fortunate son, no, no, no
Lyrics submitted by 3ssence, edited by Stettin, boomertuner
Fortunate Son Lyrics as written by John Cameron Fogerty
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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My view, and I think many will agree, the rich had a choice to send their children to war, the poor and middle class did not. 'Some folks are born, made to wave the flag', meaning once a child was born of a poor family, that was it, you were bound to go to war, no dispute. 'Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand', meaning the rich, born with a bit of money in your back pocket and you were safe from the horrors of war. All comes down to how awful the government were and still are. Thanks for reading.
@Nashington the silver spion in hand part is a reverence tot heroin i think. Since after that line he says that when the taxman comes they just sell everything they got.