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.
Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Some say it's just a part of it
We got to fulfill the book
So won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book
So won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom
'Cause all I ever had
These songs of freedom
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
These songs of freedom
These songs of freedom
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Some say it's just a part of it
We got to fulfill the book
So won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book
So won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom
'Cause all I ever had
These songs of freedom
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
These songs of freedom
These songs of freedom
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this is a bob marley song that a lot of bands have done. the one strummer did was originally with johnny cash.
oldskoolpunker23, i think you're wrong. i think it's basically a peace/unity/hope song with a lot of religous connotation to it.