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'm walkin' a wire, feels like a thousand ways I could fall
To want is to buy, but to live is to die and you can't take it all
When everything is said and done I won't have one thing left
What happened to everything I've ever known?
All they gave me was this ticket to heaven
But that ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make
Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything
I'm running from everything, I'm afraid it's a little too late
Soft voices lie and innocence dies, now ain't that a shame?
Then all of your dreams and all your money, they don't mean a thing
When everything is said and done you won't have one thing left
What happened to everything I've ever known?
All they gave me was this ticket to heaven
But that ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make
Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything
I'm running from everything, I'm afraid it's a little too late
It's a little too late
All they gave me was this ticket to heaven
But that ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make
Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything
I'm running from everything, I'm afraid it's a little too late
All they gave me was this ticket to heaven
But that ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make
Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything
I'm running from everything, I'm afraid it's a little too late
It's a little too late
To want is to buy, but to live is to die and you can't take it all
When everything is said and done I won't have one thing left
What happened to everything I've ever known?
All they gave me was this ticket to heaven
But that ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make
Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything
I'm running from everything, I'm afraid it's a little too late
Soft voices lie and innocence dies, now ain't that a shame?
Then all of your dreams and all your money, they don't mean a thing
When everything is said and done you won't have one thing left
What happened to everything I've ever known?
All they gave me was this ticket to heaven
But that ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make
Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything
I'm running from everything, I'm afraid it's a little too late
It's a little too late
All they gave me was this ticket to heaven
But that ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make
Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything
I'm running from everything, I'm afraid it's a little too late
All they gave me was this ticket to heaven
But that ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make
Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything
I'm running from everything, I'm afraid it's a little too late
It's a little too late
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Grand Theft Auto
Insane Ian
Insane Ian
The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I think this song is about his experienece with religion and how it makes him "restless" and maybe he feels restricted from doing things he wants to do or worried that he will do something that is not allowed because he wants a ticket to heaven
I like what you said about it. I was thinking that it was along the same lines, but more like this:<br /> He believed in a certain religion at some point, and they gave him his "ticket to Heaven," but things happened that made him stop believing. But then somewhere along his life he started believing again, but he thinks that it's too late for him to go back.
One thing is for sure if ya'll are talking about Christianity if you believe you can never be turned away.<br />
good tune
The point that Brad is trying to make out of this song is how some people focus so much on what they got in this life that they forget about they're after life. This man in the song wants into heaven but he's running away from it because he can't take that money into heaven with him.
EXCUSE ME, but I can write about whatever I want. Besides that is what the song is about. If you don't believe me, find the interview and read it.
you can pretty much write anything you want down so chill people....I think it's about a person realizing that everything they once believed in and thought was important isn't nearly as stable or important as they thought. Like realizing that material posessions and things of that nature don't matter,
i think it has to do with the fact that you have to make sacrifices in your life and choosing the best path for you and you'll meet opportunities in your life you can either take or abandon. the ticket to heaven symbolizes the easy way out of all this but you have to do one favor in order to obtain it
I think this song is being misinterpreted, it's less on the heaven and more on doing the right thing. The "Ticket to Heaven" is assumed, everyone wants to go to heaven, so, how does he do that? By "Lie in the bed that you make". He shouldn't run from "Everything" and live his own life. There's no "Ticket to heaven" that you just get given, you have to live your life and lie in the bed that you make. THat probably wasn't too clear but it makes sense t o me :S.
ENjoy this great band, peace out.
It's a metaphor, its like there is a stand that gives out tickets to heaven before you commit suicide. Apparently nothing can convince him to not jump, and his life is in the shitter. It also states that all he has left (because he lost his love, family and job) is a ticket to heaven.
This song, in my opinion, is more along the lines of what AliasNeo said...it can be taken multiple ways, but it doesnt have to necessarily interpret the "ticket to heaven" as religion literally. Awesome song && awesome band!
Iv loved this band since their very first album and this is definantely one of my favorite songs by them. to me this song is about how he was told how he could make it to heaven but in order to do so he has to face the consequences of his actions "lie in the bed that you make" and he's running from those consequences
No it doesn't have anything to do with religion. When this band first got its first big break-the record company put them on the road immediately and they began a grueling schedule and worked there butts off!! I mean they toured non-stop for almost 3 years. The ticket to heaven that the are refering to is the ticket to fame-everybody chases it but when they catch it, they find out later that it has caught them back-and all they can do is sleep in the bed they made-this is what they wanted-and this is what they got-that is also the reference made to to want is to buy but to live is to die now ain't that a shame-this life on the road was killing them-it didn't matter how much money they were making-they never got off the hamster wheel long enough to spend it or enjoy it. One thing you can listen to in their first 3 albums was how hard it was for them to be on the road and not with the ones they love. I visited with them in Louisiana 6 yrs ago and they were wore out-they really were homesick-and that has alot to do with their earlier music.