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.
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
For what I am not aware
Must be what you wrote
What you write, you swore that you'd swear
Now remember why you came
Not to play follow the leader, no no
Poor kids dressing like they're rich (Mods!)
Rich kids dressing like they're poor (oh my god!)
White kids talking like they're black
I tried it with Charlene
And I spent three days on my back
But she said "Baby
I like the cut of your J.I.B."
Oh don't believe them when they say
That you don't get nothing for free
It's all for free
Follow me now
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
For what I am not aware
Must be what you wrote
What you write, you swore that you'd swear
Now remember why you came
Not to play follow the leader, no no
Poor kids dressing like they're rich (Mods!)
Rich kids dressing like they're poor (oh my god!)
White kids talking like they're black
I tried it with Charlene
And I spent three days on my back
But she said "Baby
I like the cut of your J.I.B."
Oh don't believe them when they say
That you don't get nothing for free
It's all for free
Follow me now
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
It's waiting at the school gates
There's a campaign of hate
Lyrics submitted by on_a_plain_11
Campaign of Hate Lyrics as written by Peter Doherty
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Spirit Within
Bertoldi Brothers
Bertoldi Brothers
Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
Grand Theft Auto
Insane Ian
Insane Ian
The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
Battle Royale
Word Alive, The
Word Alive, The
This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
Techno Ted
Audioslave
Audioslave
Techno Ted may be a person who caused Chris incredible emotional pain & trepidation as well as moments of peace & happiness but now is removed and awaiting his fate. Darling may be a different person who is also free of him and can live her life free of Ted's tyranny. "In between all the laughing, and daydreams ... lies: a desert of truth" Lies are like a desert or the omission of Truth: Where there were Lies then Truth was absent. The song, "Techno Ted", may be a cathartic celebration of the downfall of this person.
I agree that it's about school.
'There's a campaign of hate It's waiting at the school gates'
I think this line refers to how, as soon as you get to school, you're part of a clique, and you're constantly at war with the other cliques around you.
'For what I am not aware Must be what you wrote What you write, you swore that you'd swear.'
This means that the kid going to school doesn't exactly know why his clique is warring with another clique, or how the cliques got started in the first place. But kids just accept that it's because they made friends with one set of peoepl that they're against others.
'For remember why you came Not to play follow the leader, no no.'
This is Pete Doherty saying get an identity of your own.
'Poor kids dressing like they're rich (mods) Rich kids dressing like they're poor (oh my god) White kids talking like they're black I tried it with Charlene And I spent three days on my back.'
Once again, refering to cliques and how kids act differently form what they really are to fit in. I think the 'I tried it with Charlene' bit is about how kids succum to peer pressure, and 'try' different things like sex, drugs, ect.
'Oh she said baby... I like the cut of your J.I.B. Don't believe them when they say That you don't get nothing for free It's all for free follow me now.'
I think this line is saying that the singer won the heart of a girl because he was himself, and because he's different, the girl 'likes the cut of his J.I.B (in case you don't know, to like the cut of someone's jib refers to how, in pirate days, you could tell if someone was friend or foe because of the flag they were flying.)' So the singer is saying that because he was himself, and he didn't have to give away part of his identity, good things happened to him.