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.
MANIPULATE MY THINKING AS YOU HELP ME SPEAK MY MIND
AND YOU MAKE DECISIONS AS YOUR VISION ONLY HELPS TO KEEP ME BLIND
TRAMPLED CLEANLY UNDERFOOT AS I'M TOLD TO STAY WHERE I AM PUT
AS YOU QUICKLY RUN TO YOUR OWN SAFETY LEAVING ME HERE ALL ALONE TO
DIE
SWEET REFRACTOR I'M INDEBTED TO YOU
FOR YOUR NEED IN CHOOSING ME TO BE THE ONE TO SUBDUE
I'VE SO MUCH TO THINK OF WHEN A PUSH COMES TO SHOVE
B/c I KNOW NOW THAT IT'S EASIER TO HATE THAN LOVE
THE SKY BREAKS FORTH TO SHED IT'S TEARS UPON YOUR BROKEN ONCE
AGAIN
STIFLED LAUGHTER QUICKLY TURNS TO SORROW AS BEGINNING RUNS TO END
THERE'S A MISSING PIECE YOU'VE LEFT INSIDE ME NOTHING SEEMS TO FILL THE
VOID
OH GOD I LONG TO FEEL THE PEACE AGAIN AND SEE THE HATE DESTROYED
YOU'VE SHOWN ME THAT IT'S EASIER TO HATE THAN LOVE
AND YOU MAKE DECISIONS AS YOUR VISION ONLY HELPS TO KEEP ME BLIND
TRAMPLED CLEANLY UNDERFOOT AS I'M TOLD TO STAY WHERE I AM PUT
AS YOU QUICKLY RUN TO YOUR OWN SAFETY LEAVING ME HERE ALL ALONE TO
DIE
SWEET REFRACTOR I'M INDEBTED TO YOU
FOR YOUR NEED IN CHOOSING ME TO BE THE ONE TO SUBDUE
I'VE SO MUCH TO THINK OF WHEN A PUSH COMES TO SHOVE
B/c I KNOW NOW THAT IT'S EASIER TO HATE THAN LOVE
THE SKY BREAKS FORTH TO SHED IT'S TEARS UPON YOUR BROKEN ONCE
AGAIN
STIFLED LAUGHTER QUICKLY TURNS TO SORROW AS BEGINNING RUNS TO END
THERE'S A MISSING PIECE YOU'VE LEFT INSIDE ME NOTHING SEEMS TO FILL THE
VOID
OH GOD I LONG TO FEEL THE PEACE AGAIN AND SEE THE HATE DESTROYED
YOU'VE SHOWN ME THAT IT'S EASIER TO HATE THAN LOVE
Lyrics submitted by Harmonical_Fatigue
Refractor Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © FIXT
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This song always makes me think of someone screwing you up so much that you can't feel peace anymore. I could be wrong, though.
Owing to Klayton's background, this could well be an interpretation of the fundamentalist Christian church.
The song describes subtle brainwashing by corrupting the word of the Bible in such a way as to force the protagonist to think only a certain way, whilst claiming it is the message of Christ, so as to fool them into thinking they have an open mind.
The protagonist wishes to feel peaceful and express what they see as Christ's message in their own, unaltered loving way. However, the church instead preaches a message of intolerance and hatred and repeatedly forces this into the individual until they are mentally exhausted, and have no choice to take it into their own thinking.
Owing to Klayton's background, this could well be an interpretation of the fundamentalist Christian church.
The song describes subtle brainwashing by corrupting the word of the Bible in such a way as to force the protagonist to think only a certain way, whilst claiming it is the message of Christ, so as to fool them into thinking they have an open mind.
The protagonist wishes to feel peaceful and express what they see as Christ's message in their own, unaltered loving way. However, the church instead preaches a message of intolerance and hatred and repeatedly forces this into the individual until they are mentally exhausted, and have no choice to take it into their own thinking.