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.
I backed my car into a cop car the other day
Well, he just drove off, sometimes life's okay
I ran my mouth off a bit too much, oh, what did I say?
Well, you just laughed it off and it was all okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on anyway, well
A fake Jamaican took every last dime with that scam
It was worth it just to learn some sleight of hand
Bad news comes, don't you worry even when it lands
Good news will work its way to all them plans
We both got fired on exactly the same day
Well, we'll float on, good news is on the way
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, alright
Already, we'll all float on
No, don't you worry, we'll all float on, alright
Already, we'll all float on, alright
Don't worry, we'll all float on
Alright, already
And we'll all float on, alright
Already, we'll all float on, alright
Don't worry, even if things end up a bit
Too heavy, we'll all float on, alright
Already, we'll all float on alright
Already, we'll all float on, okay
Don't worry, we'll all float on
Even if things get heavy
We'll all float on, alright
Already, we'll all float on (alright)
No, don't you worry, we'll all float on (alright)
We'll all float on
Well, he just drove off, sometimes life's okay
I ran my mouth off a bit too much, oh, what did I say?
Well, you just laughed it off and it was all okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on anyway, well
A fake Jamaican took every last dime with that scam
It was worth it just to learn some sleight of hand
Bad news comes, don't you worry even when it lands
Good news will work its way to all them plans
We both got fired on exactly the same day
Well, we'll float on, good news is on the way
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, alright
Already, we'll all float on
No, don't you worry, we'll all float on, alright
Already, we'll all float on, alright
Don't worry, we'll all float on
Alright, already
And we'll all float on, alright
Already, we'll all float on, alright
Don't worry, even if things end up a bit
Too heavy, we'll all float on, alright
Already, we'll all float on alright
Already, we'll all float on, okay
Don't worry, we'll all float on
Even if things get heavy
We'll all float on, alright
Already, we'll all float on (alright)
No, don't you worry, we'll all float on (alright)
We'll all float on
Lyrics submitted by zouyan, edited by ModestMouseFM
Float On Lyrics as written by Eric Judy Dann Gallucci
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think the meaning of this song is pretty obvious. It's about those days in which everything is okay and there are no worries. Crashing into a cop car would usually mean getting written up, but they just drove away. Float on...
I actually think the meaning is extremely sarcastic. He accepting everyhting bad that happens to him without a worry. now he's got a banged up car, a (probably) pissed off friend/girlfriend, no money left to his name, and no job. Plus on top of it all he's not doing anything about it, and what did he gain from all these things? he learned a bit of slight of hand. I think the song is about people who are never concerned with the bad things that happen to them, and because of that more bad things happen. Crashes his car, gets pissed off and says a bit to much. fake Jamaican takes his money, can't get to work/can't do work so he's fired, and his "friend" also loses his job so no other monetary support. You can't just say "it'll all work out" and then sit on the couch, penniless, jobless and quite possibly friendless until you die. hence the "float on" instead of something more proactive like "push forward" or something. I honestly think Isaac hates people like that, and he's laughing at their their situation.
Devil, part of me thinks your right but the second half of me says its about death. <br /> ''I backed my car into a cop car the other day<br /> Well he just drove off, sometimes life's OK''<br /> The cop is a personification of death. Perhaps the MM is suggesting he's been close to death, and its given him a better appreciation of life. Take the rest of the song how you will, i just thought float on was just another way of expressing death.<br />
i think that blackdevil and anytimeminutes are overthinking it. i mean its open to your interpretations but the song is meant to be happy, not making fun of people or about death. have you seen the vid? its way trippy. my intepretation is that bad things are going to happen, but they wont always be as bad as you think. (or something like that-- it made more sense in my head)