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.
You remind me of you
The way you shot right through and how
You broke my window glass, fast
It happened so fast
I have to confess that I
That I was impressed that I
Despite all the mess and the broken glass
I was impressed
Here's where I disappeared
Where I fell off the pier
And to be rescued I did wait
I watched waterbugs skate
As they draw figure eights as they draw
From the bottom of the lake as they draw
I watched waterbugs skate as they draw
Bottom of the lake I watched the waterbugs skate
Memories like mohair sweaters
Stretched and piled faux distressed letters
Moose's horns and figure eights
White plastic bags in search of mates
What suffocates the land
In the memory of garbage can
Memory of garbage can
You can't be found when the bell rings
You weren't there that day for the naming of things
The naming of things
Where the homeroom bell rings
The homeroom bell rings
Hey, just look at the mess you made today
Didn't really think it would get this bad
Hey, feel like you're living in a Russian play
Where it seems like you made everybody mad
You remind me of you
When you shot through
And broke my window glass
It happened so fast
I have to confess
I was impressed, I was impressed
Despite all the mess and the broken glass
I was impressed
The way you shot right through and how
You broke my window glass, fast
It happened so fast
I have to confess that I
That I was impressed that I
Despite all the mess and the broken glass
I was impressed
Here's where I disappeared
Where I fell off the pier
And to be rescued I did wait
I watched waterbugs skate
As they draw figure eights as they draw
From the bottom of the lake as they draw
I watched waterbugs skate as they draw
Bottom of the lake I watched the waterbugs skate
Memories like mohair sweaters
Stretched and piled faux distressed letters
Moose's horns and figure eights
White plastic bags in search of mates
What suffocates the land
In the memory of garbage can
Memory of garbage can
You can't be found when the bell rings
You weren't there that day for the naming of things
The naming of things
Where the homeroom bell rings
The homeroom bell rings
Hey, just look at the mess you made today
Didn't really think it would get this bad
Hey, feel like you're living in a Russian play
Where it seems like you made everybody mad
You remind me of you
When you shot through
And broke my window glass
It happened so fast
I have to confess
I was impressed, I was impressed
Despite all the mess and the broken glass
I was impressed
Lyrics submitted by mazetti, edited by technicolorama
The Naming of Things Lyrics as written by Andrew Bird
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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