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.
Walking home from work
Stop at the supermarket
The condiment aisle
A jar of pickles catches the eye
Made eye contact with a solitary pickle
But the jar took it home
Then made up the stairs
And made it through the doorway
And waded through the floor
Tried to head in the general direction of the bathroom
The truest room in the whole damn hous
saying love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
So the answer's got to be love
so feeding time with TV
Then sleeping time not sleepy so reading time with pickle
But where the bedside lamp had been
Is now emanating soft soft green
Has it always been this way?
Is it possible that all this magic went unnoticed?
maybe now things will start to change,
And life will turn a better page
No more rage.
saying love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
But I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
Love
Tomorrow back to work again
But run to the supermarket
Running hopeful through the aisles
Haven't been this happy in a long time
But not a single jar will smile
After hours
Man pickle jars are just pickle jars
And pickles are just pickles
Ingredients: water, salt, cucumbers, garlic, and pickling spices
But love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
Love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
Stop at the supermarket
The condiment aisle
A jar of pickles catches the eye
Made eye contact with a solitary pickle
But the jar took it home
Then made up the stairs
And made it through the doorway
And waded through the floor
Tried to head in the general direction of the bathroom
The truest room in the whole damn hous
saying love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
So the answer's got to be love
so feeding time with TV
Then sleeping time not sleepy so reading time with pickle
But where the bedside lamp had been
Is now emanating soft soft green
Has it always been this way?
Is it possible that all this magic went unnoticed?
maybe now things will start to change,
And life will turn a better page
No more rage.
saying love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
But I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
Love
Tomorrow back to work again
But run to the supermarket
Running hopeful through the aisles
Haven't been this happy in a long time
But not a single jar will smile
After hours
Man pickle jars are just pickle jars
And pickles are just pickles
Ingredients: water, salt, cucumbers, garlic, and pickling spices
But love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
Love is the answer to a question that I
Have forgotten
And I know I've been asked
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
And the answer's got to be love
Lyrics submitted by TheBeff, edited by kiackley90, iSWORD
Reading Time with Pickle Lyrics as written by Regina Spektor
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I love Regina spektor. i love her, i love her, i love her.
this song in particular...i think it's a little silly fantasy of someone who believes love powers everything, every question and every answer.
at first i thought maybe it wasn't between the jar and the solitary pickle, but between a human and the jar, some weird kind of friendship or love...
maybe not ;D