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.
Fuck
Fuck that shit
Fuck give it to me
If I only could I'd set the world on fire, fuck
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Say fuck the world
Fuck the world!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Fuck 'em all
Fuck 'em all
Fuck you, fuck me, fuck us
Fuck tom, fuck Mary, fuck Gus
Fuck dairies
Fuck the west coast
And fuck everybody on the east
Eat shit and die
Or fuck off at least
Fuck pre-schoolers
Fuck rulers
Kings and queens and gold jewelers
Fuck wine coolers
Fuck chickens, fuck ducks
Everybody in your crew sucks
Punk muthafucks
Fuck critics
Fuck your review
Even if you like me, fuck you!
Fuck your mom
Fuck your mom's mom
Fuck the Beastie Boys and the Daili Llama
Fuck the rain forest
Fuck a Forest Gump
You probably like it in the rump
Fuck a shoe pump
Fuck the real deal
And fuck all the fakes
Fuck all fifty two states, oooh
And fuck you
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Say fuck the world
Fuck the world!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Fuck 'em all
Fuck 'em all
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Say fuck the world
Fuck the world!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Fuck 'em all
Fuck 'em all
Fuck Oprah
Fuck opera
Fuck a soap opera
Fuck a pop locker, and a cock blocker
Fuck your girlfriend I probably did her already
Fuck kyle and his brother tom petty
Jump steady, my homey fuck 'em what are ya gonna do?
Fuck that bitch fuck you
Yeah well fuck you too
Don't bother to analyze these rhymes
In this song I say fuck ninety three times
Fuck the president
Fuck your welfare
Fuck your government, and fuck Fred Bear
Fuck Nugent, like anybody gives a fuck
You like to hunt a lot, so fuckin what!
Fuck disco
Count or Monto Crisco
Fuck Cisco, and Jack and Jerry Brisco
And fuck everyone that went down with the titanic, in a panic
I'm like, fuck you all!!!!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Say fuck the world
Fuck the world!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Fuck 'em all
Fuck 'em all
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Say fuck the world
Fuck the world!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Fuck 'em all
Fuck 'em all
Fuck Celine Dion, and fuck Dionne Warwick
You both make me sick, suck my dick
Fuck the Berlin Wall, both sides of it
And fuck Lyle Lovett, whoever the fuck that is
Fuck everybody in the hemisphere
Fuck them across the world
And fuck them right here
You know the guy that operates the Rouge River draw bridge
In Del Ray on Jefferson?
Fuck him!
Fuck your idea
Fuck your gonorrhea
Fuck your diarrhea, Rocky Maivia
Fuck your wife your homey did
He's fuckin' you
Fuck the police, and the 5-0 too
Fuck spin, rolling stone, and fuck vibe
Fuck everybody inside
Whoever's on the cover, fuck his mother
Fuck your little brothers homey from around the way
And fuck violent
Fuck that shit
Fuck give it to me
If I only could I'd set the world on fire, fuck
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Say fuck the world
Fuck the world!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Fuck 'em all
Fuck 'em all
Fuck you, fuck me, fuck us
Fuck tom, fuck Mary, fuck Gus
Fuck dairies
Fuck the west coast
And fuck everybody on the east
Eat shit and die
Or fuck off at least
Fuck pre-schoolers
Fuck rulers
Kings and queens and gold jewelers
Fuck wine coolers
Fuck chickens, fuck ducks
Everybody in your crew sucks
Punk muthafucks
Fuck critics
Fuck your review
Even if you like me, fuck you!
Fuck your mom
Fuck your mom's mom
Fuck the Beastie Boys and the Daili Llama
Fuck the rain forest
Fuck a Forest Gump
You probably like it in the rump
Fuck a shoe pump
Fuck the real deal
And fuck all the fakes
Fuck all fifty two states, oooh
And fuck you
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Say fuck the world
Fuck the world!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Fuck 'em all
Fuck 'em all
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Say fuck the world
Fuck the world!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Fuck 'em all
Fuck 'em all
Fuck Oprah
Fuck opera
Fuck a soap opera
Fuck a pop locker, and a cock blocker
Fuck your girlfriend I probably did her already
Fuck kyle and his brother tom petty
Jump steady, my homey fuck 'em what are ya gonna do?
Fuck that bitch fuck you
Yeah well fuck you too
Don't bother to analyze these rhymes
In this song I say fuck ninety three times
Fuck the president
Fuck your welfare
Fuck your government, and fuck Fred Bear
Fuck Nugent, like anybody gives a fuck
You like to hunt a lot, so fuckin what!
Fuck disco
Count or Monto Crisco
Fuck Cisco, and Jack and Jerry Brisco
And fuck everyone that went down with the titanic, in a panic
I'm like, fuck you all!!!!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Say fuck the world
Fuck the world!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Fuck 'em all
Fuck 'em all
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Say fuck the world
Fuck the world!
If I only could I'd set the world on fire
Fuck 'em all
Fuck 'em all
Fuck Celine Dion, and fuck Dionne Warwick
You both make me sick, suck my dick
Fuck the Berlin Wall, both sides of it
And fuck Lyle Lovett, whoever the fuck that is
Fuck everybody in the hemisphere
Fuck them across the world
And fuck them right here
You know the guy that operates the Rouge River draw bridge
In Del Ray on Jefferson?
Fuck him!
Fuck your idea
Fuck your gonorrhea
Fuck your diarrhea, Rocky Maivia
Fuck your wife your homey did
He's fuckin' you
Fuck the police, and the 5-0 too
Fuck spin, rolling stone, and fuck vibe
Fuck everybody inside
Whoever's on the cover, fuck his mother
Fuck your little brothers homey from around the way
And fuck violent
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he says fuck 94 times......