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.
You can tell
From the scars on my arms
And the cracks in my hips
And the dents in my car
And the blisters on my lips
That I'm not the carefullest of girls
You can tell
From the glass on the floor
And the strings that're breaking
And I keep on breaking more
And it looks like I am shaking
But it's just the temperature
And then again
If it were any colder I could disengage
If I were any older I could act my age
But I don't think that you'd believe me
It's not the way
I'm meant to be
It's just the way
The operation made me
And you can tell
From the state of my room
That they let me out too soon
And the pills that I ate
Came a couple years too late
And I've got some issues to work through
There I go again
Pretending to be you
Make believing
That I have a soul beneath the surface
Trying to convince you
It was accidentally on purpose
I am not so serious
This passion is a plagiarism
I might join your century
But only on a rare occasion
I was taken out
Before the labor pains set in and now
Behold the world's worst accident
I am the girl anachronism
And you can tell
By the red in my eyes
And the bruises on my thighs
And the knots in my hair
And the bathtub full of flies
That I'm not right now at all
There I go again
Pretending that I'll fall
Don't call the doctors
'Cause they've seen it all before
They'll say just
Let her crash
And burn
She'll learn
The attention just encourages her
And you can tell
From the full-body cast
That you're sorry that you asked
Though you did everything you could
Like any decent person would
But I might be catching so don't touch
You'll start believing
You're immune to gravity and stuff
Don't get me wet
Because the bandages will all come off
And you can tell
From the smoke at the stake
That the current state is critical
Well it is the little things, for instance
In the time it takes to break it
She can make up ten excuses
Please excuse her for the day
It's just the way the medication makes her
I don't necessarily believe there is a cure for this
So I might join your century but only as a doubtful guest
I was too precarious removed as a caesarian
Behold the worlds worst accident
I am the girl anachronism
I am the girl anachronism
I am the girl anachronism
I am the girl anachronism
I am the girl
I am the girl
I am the girl
I am the girl anachronism
From the scars on my arms
And the cracks in my hips
And the dents in my car
And the blisters on my lips
That I'm not the carefullest of girls
You can tell
From the glass on the floor
And the strings that're breaking
And I keep on breaking more
And it looks like I am shaking
But it's just the temperature
And then again
If it were any colder I could disengage
If I were any older I could act my age
But I don't think that you'd believe me
It's not the way
I'm meant to be
It's just the way
The operation made me
And you can tell
From the state of my room
That they let me out too soon
And the pills that I ate
Came a couple years too late
And I've got some issues to work through
There I go again
Pretending to be you
Make believing
That I have a soul beneath the surface
Trying to convince you
It was accidentally on purpose
I am not so serious
This passion is a plagiarism
I might join your century
But only on a rare occasion
I was taken out
Before the labor pains set in and now
Behold the world's worst accident
I am the girl anachronism
And you can tell
By the red in my eyes
And the bruises on my thighs
And the knots in my hair
And the bathtub full of flies
That I'm not right now at all
There I go again
Pretending that I'll fall
Don't call the doctors
'Cause they've seen it all before
They'll say just
Let her crash
And burn
She'll learn
The attention just encourages her
And you can tell
From the full-body cast
That you're sorry that you asked
Though you did everything you could
Like any decent person would
But I might be catching so don't touch
You'll start believing
You're immune to gravity and stuff
Don't get me wet
Because the bandages will all come off
And you can tell
From the smoke at the stake
That the current state is critical
Well it is the little things, for instance
In the time it takes to break it
She can make up ten excuses
Please excuse her for the day
It's just the way the medication makes her
I don't necessarily believe there is a cure for this
So I might join your century but only as a doubtful guest
I was too precarious removed as a caesarian
Behold the worlds worst accident
I am the girl anachronism
I am the girl anachronism
I am the girl anachronism
I am the girl anachronism
I am the girl
I am the girl
I am the girl
I am the girl anachronism
Lyrics submitted by okokayok, edited by fantascination
Girl Anachronism Lyrics as written by Amanda Palmer
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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I agree with what someone said before, this is definitely a "joke." of some sort. It's about Amanda being born a day sooner than planned, and joking about how she feels out of time and doesn't fit in.