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 I was in uniform
Looking at the art teacher
I was just a girl then;
Never have I loved since then
He was not that much older than I was
He had taken our class to the Metropolitan Museum
He asked us what our favorite work of art was,
But never could I tell it was him
Oh, I wish I could tell him,
Oh, I wish I could have told him
I looked at the Rubens and Rembrandts
I liked the John Singer Sargents
He told me he liked Turner
Never have I turned since then
No, never have I turned to any other man
All this having been said,
I married an executive company head
All this having been done, a Turner, I own one
Here I am in this uniformish, pant-suit sort of thing,
Thinking of the art teacher
I was just a girl then;
Never have I loved since then
No, never have I loved any other man
Looking at the art teacher
I was just a girl then;
Never have I loved since then
He was not that much older than I was
He had taken our class to the Metropolitan Museum
He asked us what our favorite work of art was,
But never could I tell it was him
Oh, I wish I could tell him,
Oh, I wish I could have told him
I looked at the Rubens and Rembrandts
I liked the John Singer Sargents
He told me he liked Turner
Never have I turned since then
No, never have I turned to any other man
All this having been said,
I married an executive company head
All this having been done, a Turner, I own one
Here I am in this uniformish, pant-suit sort of thing,
Thinking of the art teacher
I was just a girl then;
Never have I loved since then
No, never have I loved any other man
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This song is so depressing, it's amusing that it came from such a lighthearted song. The piano makes it so mesmerizing.
I heard this song is from a womens point of view.Like one of the "Art Teacher"'s former female students. I'd rather like to think it's from Rufus's point of view,but it doesnt matter.Genius is genius!
I am in love with the song! I love the wit and clever wording. "He told me he liked Turner Never have I turned since then No, never have I turned to any other man" Genius! And the lines "He asked us what our favorite work of art was, But never could I tell it was him" are great too! And "here I am in this uniformish pant suit sort of thing." makes me crack up every time I hear it! Gahhh, his voice is stunning in this song!! (Well, it always is of course.) This song just makes me melt :]
search for this song when rufus played it at "john harms" (whatever that is). he makes a really funny introduction about this art teacher he met at the gym, who told him details about some stories envolving the girl from the girl school he was teaching... it's really funny and you'll love the lyrics even more after hearing the story.
This is actually my favorite song on Want Two. Such a great song.
This is such a beautiful song
I was highly amused the first the first time I heard this in hearing him sing "I was just a girl then." But this is definately one of my favorite songs by him.
What a beautiful, sad song...so retrospective and filled with longing. Also really nice to listen to--this guy has so much talent with his voice. Doesn't he come from a musically inclined family--like opera singers and such? I think his sister sings backup on this album, too.
I also heard the story about Rufus running into this "cute" guy at the gym who happened to be an art teacher who had a female student with a crush on him. Rufus also said that he himself had a crush on this straight art teacher/gym buddy. And from that, he wrote this song.
He also actually performed this song for that (straight) art teacher who was so popular with his female students. Apparently, the song went way over the teacher's head. He didn't understand it.
Didn't understand it?!
...I totally relate. :(