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.
Come and open up your folding chair next to me
My feet are buried in the sand and there's a breeze
There's a shadow, you can't see my eyes
And the sea is just a wetter version of the skies
Let's get a silver bullet trailer and have a baby boy
I'll safety-pin his clothes all cool and you'll graffiti up his toys
I've got a perfect body, though sometimes I forget
I've got a perfect body cause my eyelashes catch my sweat
Yes, they do, they do
Now I've been sitting on this abandoned beach for years
Waiting for the salty water to cover up my ears
But every time the tide come in to take me home
I get scared, and I'm sitting here alone
Dreaming of the dolphin song
Maybe one day you will understand
I don't want nothing from you but to sweetly hold your hand
Till that day just please don't be so down
Don't make frowns, you silly clown
Just come and open up your folding chair next to me
My feet are buried in the sand and there's a breeze
There's a shadow, you can't see my eyes
And the waves are just a frothier version of the skies
There's a shadow, you can't see my eyes
There's a shadow, you can't see my eyes, eyes
My feet are buried in the sand and there's a breeze
There's a shadow, you can't see my eyes
And the sea is just a wetter version of the skies
Let's get a silver bullet trailer and have a baby boy
I'll safety-pin his clothes all cool and you'll graffiti up his toys
I've got a perfect body, though sometimes I forget
I've got a perfect body cause my eyelashes catch my sweat
Yes, they do, they do
Now I've been sitting on this abandoned beach for years
Waiting for the salty water to cover up my ears
But every time the tide come in to take me home
I get scared, and I'm sitting here alone
Dreaming of the dolphin song
Maybe one day you will understand
I don't want nothing from you but to sweetly hold your hand
Till that day just please don't be so down
Don't make frowns, you silly clown
Just come and open up your folding chair next to me
My feet are buried in the sand and there's a breeze
There's a shadow, you can't see my eyes
And the waves are just a frothier version of the skies
There's a shadow, you can't see my eyes
There's a shadow, you can't see my eyes, eyes
Lyrics submitted by medicine, edited by nickireland7, ElectraHeart
Folding Chair Lyrics as written by Regina Spektor
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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So, I have some confusion about this part:
"Now I've been sitting on this abandoned beach for years Waiting for the salty water to cover up my ears But every time the tide come in to take me home I get scared Now I'm sitting here alone Dreaming of the dolphin song"
So if the tide could take her home by covering up her ears, and she is too scared to let it, and if the sky is heaven, and if the sea is a wetter version of that... and she's too scared to go but still dreams of the dolphins' song (or of sea lions impersonating dolphins) - dolphins are said to be super carefree, happy creatures.
I sort of wish I were a dolphin sometimes, instead of being this person who struggles with depression and feeling like I'm not good enough. When really things should just be simple and happy. I mean, my eyelashes catch my sweat, too, right? I should be fine!
There's a shadow, you can't see her eyes. You can see this perfectly cute scene on the beach, but you can't see into the windows of her soul to see what's really going on.
Maybe her boyfriend is depressed, too. And maybe she's realizing that if they'd just relax and live the simple life, they could be happy...