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.
Won't you look up at the skyline?
At the mortar, block, and glass
And check out the reflections in my eyes
You see they always used to be there
Even when this was all was grass
And I sang and danced about a high-rise
And you were laughing at my helmet hat
Laughing at my torch
Well, go ahead, you can laugh all you want
I got my philosophy (it keeps my feet on the ground)
And I trust it like the ground (ground)
And that's why my philosophy (my phil')
It keeps me walking when I'm falling down ('osophy)
I see that there is evil
And I know that there is good
Now the in-betweens, I never understood
Would you look at me? I'm crazy
But I get the job done
Yeah, I'm crazy but I get the job done
And I say, go ahead, you can laugh all you want
But I got my philosophy (it keeps my feet on the ground)
And I trust it like the ground (ground)
And that's why my philosophy (my phil')
It keeps me walking when I'm falling down ('osophy)
I pushed you 'cause I loved you guys
I didn't realize
You weren't having fun
And I dragged you up the stairs
And I told you to fly
You were flapping your arms
You started to cry, you were too high
No, too high
You may take this all for granted
You take the mortar, block, and glass
And you forget the speech that moved the stone
But it's really not that you can't see
The forest from the trees
You never been out in the woods alone
So you can laugh all you want to
But I got my philosophy (it keeps my feet on the ground)
And I love you, you're my friend (friend)
But you got no philosophy (my phil')
And now it's time for the song to end ('osophy)
(Count that bitch off, somebody)
(You count it off)
(Scream it) (we're Swervedriver, where's the party?
(One, two, thee four)
At the mortar, block, and glass
And check out the reflections in my eyes
You see they always used to be there
Even when this was all was grass
And I sang and danced about a high-rise
And you were laughing at my helmet hat
Laughing at my torch
Well, go ahead, you can laugh all you want
I got my philosophy (it keeps my feet on the ground)
And I trust it like the ground (ground)
And that's why my philosophy (my phil')
It keeps me walking when I'm falling down ('osophy)
I see that there is evil
And I know that there is good
Now the in-betweens, I never understood
Would you look at me? I'm crazy
But I get the job done
Yeah, I'm crazy but I get the job done
And I say, go ahead, you can laugh all you want
But I got my philosophy (it keeps my feet on the ground)
And I trust it like the ground (ground)
And that's why my philosophy (my phil')
It keeps me walking when I'm falling down ('osophy)
I pushed you 'cause I loved you guys
I didn't realize
You weren't having fun
And I dragged you up the stairs
And I told you to fly
You were flapping your arms
You started to cry, you were too high
No, too high
You may take this all for granted
You take the mortar, block, and glass
And you forget the speech that moved the stone
But it's really not that you can't see
The forest from the trees
You never been out in the woods alone
So you can laugh all you want to
But I got my philosophy (it keeps my feet on the ground)
And I love you, you're my friend (friend)
But you got no philosophy (my phil')
And now it's time for the song to end ('osophy)
(Count that bitch off, somebody)
(You count it off)
(Scream it) (we're Swervedriver, where's the party?
(One, two, thee four)
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Cna't believe no one gets this one., It's about freedom (our nations's philosophy) as inspired by the statue of liberty (eyes, helmut hat, torch, etc.) and how some people don't fully get it / respect it all.