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 roll the window down
And then begin to breathe in
The darkest country road
And the strong scent of evergreen
From the passenger seat as you are driving me home
Then looking upwards
I strain my eyes and try
To tell the difference between shooting stars and satellites
From the passenger seat as you are driving me home
"Do they collide?"
I ask and you smile
With my feet on the dash
The world doesn't matter
When you feel embarrassed then I'll be your pride
When you need directions then I'll be the guide
For all time
For all time
And then begin to breathe in
The darkest country road
And the strong scent of evergreen
From the passenger seat as you are driving me home
Then looking upwards
I strain my eyes and try
To tell the difference between shooting stars and satellites
From the passenger seat as you are driving me home
"Do they collide?"
I ask and you smile
With my feet on the dash
The world doesn't matter
When you feel embarrassed then I'll be your pride
When you need directions then I'll be the guide
For all time
For all time
Lyrics submitted by heartattack
Passenger Seat Lyrics as written by Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The imagery is incredible in this song, I remember the first time I heard it, I was on a road trip on by baseball team's bus heading to a game some two hours away. The route there was through a canyon, and at night you could see faint outlines of evergreen trees and mountain ridges. The line "the darkest country road and the strong scent of evergreen" couldn't have been timed better as I got to the song while passing thorugh the canyon, and I felt like I was right where Ben was singing about. That's the sheer greatness of DCFC.
As for my interpretation, I never did think of it as a bond between someone and a parent figure, that is definetely an interesting interpretation. But I had always thought of it as perhaps a road trip some friends are taking, it is late at night and he and the driver are the only ones awake. I would think that the driver is his girlfriend, and they are sharing a small moment with each other while they still have it. The guy in the passenger seat is tired and falling asleep, and perhaps mutturs "do they collide?", referring to the stars and satellites. His girlfriend thinks this is silly and is amused by how funny he is while he is tired. The guy, though still falling asleep, realizes this and feels a feeling similar to being on top of the world, resting his feet on the dash and telling himself "the world dosent matter", because he has everything he needs right next to him. As he finally falls asleep, he is thinking of his girlfriend and everything she means to him, and everything he'll do for her - "When you feel embarrased, then i'll be your pride. When you need directions, then i'll be the guide; for all time".