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 don't want to kiss you, I don't want to touch
I don't want to see you 'cause I don't miss you that much
I'm not a telephone junkie
I told you that we were just good friends
But when I hold you like I hold that Bakelite in my hands
There's no action
There's no action, there's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
He's got the keys to the car, they are the keys to the kingdom
He's got ev'rything you need, it's a shame that he didn't bring them
I'm not a telephone junkie
If I'm inserting my coin, I'm doing just fine
And the things in my head start hurtin' my mind
And I think about the way things used to be
Knowing you're with him is driving me crazy
Sometimes I phone you when I know you're not lonely
But I always disconnect it in time
There's no action
There's no action, there's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
There's no action
There's no action
There's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
I don't want to see you 'cause I don't miss you that much
I'm not a telephone junkie
I told you that we were just good friends
But when I hold you like I hold that Bakelite in my hands
There's no action
There's no action, there's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
He's got the keys to the car, they are the keys to the kingdom
He's got ev'rything you need, it's a shame that he didn't bring them
I'm not a telephone junkie
If I'm inserting my coin, I'm doing just fine
And the things in my head start hurtin' my mind
And I think about the way things used to be
Knowing you're with him is driving me crazy
Sometimes I phone you when I know you're not lonely
But I always disconnect it in time
There's no action
There's no action, there's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
There's no action
There's no action
There's no action
Every time I phone you, I just want to put you down
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Oh, I so don't think he's over it in the end. I mean, ending with "Sometimes I phone you when I know you're not lonely, But I always disconnect it in time" seems like he's ending it still wanting her.
I just think it's about being in agony because of really wanting to be with someone and hating a) that she's with someone, b) the guy she is dating both because he thinks he's wrong for her and because he's with her, and c) the girl herself because, well, don't you just hit a certain point where you hate the person making you like this?
I also think that because of the "no action" bit, I think he hates not being able to do something and instead has a sick relationship with his phone.