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.
This is the moment that you know
That you told you loved her, but you don't
You touch her skin and then you think
That she is beautiful
But she don't mean a thing to me
Yeah, she is beautiful
But she don't mean a thing to me
I spent two weeks in Silverlake
The California sun cascading down my face
There was a girl with light brown streaks
And she was beautiful
But she didn't mean a thing to me
Yeah, she was beautiful
But she didn't mean a thing to me
I wanted to believe in all the words that I was speaking
As we moved together in the dark
And all the friends that I was telling
And all the playful misspellings
And every bite I gave that left a mark
When tiny vessels oozed into your neck
And formed the bruises
That you said you didn't want to fade
But they did, and so did I that day
All I see are dark grey clouds
In the distance moving closer with every hour
So when you 'd ask "Is something wrong?"
I think "You're damn right there is, but we can't talk about it now
No, we can't talk about it now"
So one last touch, and then you'll go
And we'll pretend that it meant something so much more
But it was vile, and it was cheap
And you are beautiful
But you don't mean a thing to me
Yeah, you are beautiful
But you don't mean a thing to me
Yeah, you are beautiful
But you don't mean a thing to me
That you told you loved her, but you don't
You touch her skin and then you think
That she is beautiful
But she don't mean a thing to me
Yeah, she is beautiful
But she don't mean a thing to me
I spent two weeks in Silverlake
The California sun cascading down my face
There was a girl with light brown streaks
And she was beautiful
But she didn't mean a thing to me
Yeah, she was beautiful
But she didn't mean a thing to me
I wanted to believe in all the words that I was speaking
As we moved together in the dark
And all the friends that I was telling
And all the playful misspellings
And every bite I gave that left a mark
When tiny vessels oozed into your neck
And formed the bruises
That you said you didn't want to fade
But they did, and so did I that day
All I see are dark grey clouds
In the distance moving closer with every hour
So when you 'd ask "Is something wrong?"
I think "You're damn right there is, but we can't talk about it now
No, we can't talk about it now"
So one last touch, and then you'll go
And we'll pretend that it meant something so much more
But it was vile, and it was cheap
And you are beautiful
But you don't mean a thing to me
Yeah, you are beautiful
But you don't mean a thing to me
Yeah, you are beautiful
But you don't mean a thing to me
Lyrics submitted by heartattack
Tiny Vessels Lyrics as written by Nicholas Harmer Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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I think a lot of people can relate to this song especially girls. Something like this happened to my w/my bf. He would say that he loved me and all this other crap but he never really meant it. B/C after a year being together he just forgot me I a couple of days he already liked another girl. Why do guys do that? Why cant they be more direct and just say it how it is and thats what this song is about basically is about