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.
The air was more than human
And the heat was more than hungry
And the cars were square and spitting
Diesel fumes
The bulls were running wild
Because they're big and mean and sacred
And the children were playing cricket with no shoes
The next morning we woke up, man
With a seven-hour drive
Well there we were stuck in Port Blair
Where boats break and children stare
And there were so many fewer questions
When stars were still just the holes to heaven
And there were so many fewer questions
When stars were still just the holes to heaven
Disembarking from the port
With no mistakes of any sort
Moving south the engine running smooth
Officials were quite friendly
Once we drowned them with our sweet talk
And we bribed them with our cigarettes and booze
The next morning we woke up man
With the sunrise to right
Moving back north to Port Blair
Where boats break and children stare
And there were so many fewer questions
When stars were still just the holes to heaven
Yes, and there were so many fewer questions
When stars were still just the holes to heaven
And the heat was more than hungry
And the cars were square and spitting
Diesel fumes
The bulls were running wild
Because they're big and mean and sacred
And the children were playing cricket with no shoes
The next morning we woke up, man
With a seven-hour drive
Well there we were stuck in Port Blair
Where boats break and children stare
And there were so many fewer questions
When stars were still just the holes to heaven
And there were so many fewer questions
When stars were still just the holes to heaven
Disembarking from the port
With no mistakes of any sort
Moving south the engine running smooth
Officials were quite friendly
Once we drowned them with our sweet talk
And we bribed them with our cigarettes and booze
The next morning we woke up man
With the sunrise to right
Moving back north to Port Blair
Where boats break and children stare
And there were so many fewer questions
When stars were still just the holes to heaven
Yes, and there were so many fewer questions
When stars were still just the holes to heaven
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This is an awesome song....actually all Jack's songs are awesome!...by the way its "the bulls were running wild"