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.
Throw away the radio
Suitcase that keeps you awake
Hide the telephone, the telephone, telephone in case
You realize that sometimes you're just not okay
You level off, you level off, you level off
But it's not alright now
You need to understand
There's nothing strange about this
You need to know your friends
You need to know that
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
Quiet or loud
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
Throw away this very old shoelace
That tripped you again
Try and shrug it off, shrug it off, shrug it off
It's only skin now
You need to understand
There's nothing fake about this
You need to let me in
I'm watching you and
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
No one's around
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (la, la, la, la)
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
Quiet or loud
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here
Suitcase that keeps you awake
Hide the telephone, the telephone, telephone in case
You realize that sometimes you're just not okay
You level off, you level off, you level off
But it's not alright now
You need to understand
There's nothing strange about this
You need to know your friends
You need to know that
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
Quiet or loud
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
Throw away this very old shoelace
That tripped you again
Try and shrug it off, shrug it off, shrug it off
It's only skin now
You need to understand
There's nothing fake about this
You need to let me in
I'm watching you and
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
No one's around
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (la, la, la, la)
I'll be waving my hand
Watching you drown
Watching you scream
Quiet or loud
And maybe you should sleep
And maybe you just need
A friend as clumsy as you've been
There's no one laughing
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
You will be safe in here
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here, ow
In here
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this is one of the first OLP songs i head, and i think that sickntwistd is right, about it being about someone going down the wrong path. it means alot to me, b/c at one point in my life i was going down the wrong path, and my friend got me into this band, and was there for me, and the more i listened to the music, the more personal it became to me, and i was able to relate to OLP's songs. i just needed a friend, just like in the song, and i found one, in my friend, and in OLP.