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 heard a word from on high
Glare like a light in the sky it said
"quit blowing each other up"
A voicing so crystalline clear so
Somethings unclear in your ear
When only blood will fill your cup
Hello I'm trying to focus
But my eyes deceive me
Focus I'm witnessing history, repeating
It fell like a tear from my eye
Flying machine so up high well,
There goes the neighborgood
A scene set to singe innocence
Up heave unhinge and pit against
Like every made for TV should
Hello I'm trying to focus
But my eyes deceive me
Focus I'm witnessing history, repeating
Focus
We are
We know
We see
We think
For you
The who
The what
The when
The where
The why
We build your young
We built you too
Wee see you all
Hello I'm trying to focus
But my eyes deceive me
Focus I'm witnessing history, repeating
Glare like a light in the sky it said
"quit blowing each other up"
A voicing so crystalline clear so
Somethings unclear in your ear
When only blood will fill your cup
Hello I'm trying to focus
But my eyes deceive me
Focus I'm witnessing history, repeating
It fell like a tear from my eye
Flying machine so up high well,
There goes the neighborgood
A scene set to singe innocence
Up heave unhinge and pit against
Like every made for TV should
Hello I'm trying to focus
But my eyes deceive me
Focus I'm witnessing history, repeating
Focus
We are
We know
We see
We think
For you
The who
The what
The when
The where
The why
We build your young
We built you too
Wee see you all
Hello I'm trying to focus
But my eyes deceive me
Focus I'm witnessing history, repeating
Lyrics submitted by prayingmantis84
Made for TV Movie Lyrics as written by Brandon Boyd Ben Kenney
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
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maybe because today we see real wars on tv as if they were movies, hence the name of the song. "Im witnessing history repeating" because its hapenning today like it has happened before (Vietnam).
Um... somehow this song got put up twice...
Sorry...
Kind of obvious, isn't it?
Anti-war, all the way.
I needn't say a thing, the lyrics speak for themselves.
Totally agree with AzWeThinkIam- anti-war, anti-iraq, and putting forward the similarities betwen 'nam and Iraq. Its kinda the same message as Rage's "No Shelter," with the lyric "Thin line between entertainment and war."
We see everything going on in the world the way the media wants to show it.
I actually used this as inspiration for a poem I had to write for english class. A great song & I agree completely. Anti-war.
you all got it down, antiwar, just like me, makes me love incubus that much more, great song
Latest incubus album is incredible, I really see a parrelel to the late 60s how music is progressing politically. Give musicians the right climate and they can make amazing songs about society. Way to go Incubus. I am a fan for life now.
Well i definitely think war is part of it, but i dont think that its exclusively about that. i think he is also referring to the awesome power of the media (like in Talk Shows on Mute) - 'we think for you, we built your young' (BTW "we build your hill" should be "we built your young" which makes much more sense doesnt it?) the media is so all-corrupting and distorts everything we see or read; history is repeating and we are all passively sitting by and letting it happen, because the media makes it so hard to 'focus'.
people with too much power deciding whats right for someone else and using force - the depressing reallity that mankind is still blowing itself up and we mightnever have new skin...
I personally think that this song is anti-murder, anti-killing, however you want to word it. It is an awesome song also.