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.
I swim across an ocean
It's my mattress in the basement
I'm sweatin' out excuses
That would make your stomach turn
The road we drove last night
Stretched from the desert to Las Vegas
We filled our cups, and lit one up
The snow began to burn
Oh, Oh maybe, we were made
We were made for each other
Ahh, is it possible for the
World to look this way forever?
Ahhh, Ahhh...
I talked so much, I'm sure
I didn't realize I'd gone crazy
Didn't catch my bloody nose
Or that my heart tried to explode
I still live with my High School friends
Some people never change at all
We're still the same compulsive drunks
We were when we were small
(Someone get this man to a hospital!)
Ohh, maybe, we were made
We were made for each other
Ahh, is it possible for the
World to look this way forever?
Ahhh, Ahhh...
A long (a long) way to the firework days
But I still like to burn, burn, burn
I'm always (I'm always) in the haze of a car crash
The orange airbag dust covers everything
Oh, everything
And maybe, we were made
We were made for each other
Ahh, is it possible for the
World to look this way forever?
Ahhh, Ahhh...
...
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out on you
You waited for me in the rain
In the parking lot
Cold hands, lips blue
Clothes stuck to you
You could have phoned me for a ride
It's a mess out there
you said the rain's the rain
Some air'd be good for you
(you can breathe, you can breathe now)
Well good for you
(you can breathe, but the air is running out
You get in my car
Where its warm
You cannot forget
skin new, hands true
My hands all over you
so whats another night
The seats rolled back
They can't see through
The rains the rain
Some air'd be good for you
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out on you
And you walked for miles down
The shores of California to the
Coast of Mexico where you could hide
And no one'd have to know
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out (on you now)
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out on you
Running out on you
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
(You can breathe but the air is running out)
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
(You can breathe but the air is running out)
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
It's my mattress in the basement
I'm sweatin' out excuses
That would make your stomach turn
The road we drove last night
Stretched from the desert to Las Vegas
We filled our cups, and lit one up
The snow began to burn
Oh, Oh maybe, we were made
We were made for each other
Ahh, is it possible for the
World to look this way forever?
Ahhh, Ahhh...
I talked so much, I'm sure
I didn't realize I'd gone crazy
Didn't catch my bloody nose
Or that my heart tried to explode
I still live with my High School friends
Some people never change at all
We're still the same compulsive drunks
We were when we were small
(Someone get this man to a hospital!)
Ohh, maybe, we were made
We were made for each other
Ahh, is it possible for the
World to look this way forever?
Ahhh, Ahhh...
A long (a long) way to the firework days
But I still like to burn, burn, burn
I'm always (I'm always) in the haze of a car crash
The orange airbag dust covers everything
Oh, everything
And maybe, we were made
We were made for each other
Ahh, is it possible for the
World to look this way forever?
Ahhh, Ahhh...
...
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out on you
You waited for me in the rain
In the parking lot
Cold hands, lips blue
Clothes stuck to you
You could have phoned me for a ride
It's a mess out there
you said the rain's the rain
Some air'd be good for you
(you can breathe, you can breathe now)
Well good for you
(you can breathe, but the air is running out
You get in my car
Where its warm
You cannot forget
skin new, hands true
My hands all over you
so whats another night
The seats rolled back
They can't see through
The rains the rain
Some air'd be good for you
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out on you
And you walked for miles down
The shores of California to the
Coast of Mexico where you could hide
And no one'd have to know
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out (on you now)
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out on you
Running out on you
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
(You can breathe but the air is running out)
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
(You can breathe but the air is running out)
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
Lyrics submitted by slowdance104
MFEO: Part 1: Made for Each Other/Part 2: You Can Breathe song meanings
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He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
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He certainly did earn that reputation.
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The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
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Hayalperest
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
this song is about cocaine, or at least references to it for a lot of the song...
the way i interpret it, the first part of the song is talking about a trip and the positive aspects of it. and how you feel like everything is perfect while you're actually on the drug. euphoria.
then the second part is the negative aspects of being on drugs. you can breathe while you have it, you can breathe while you're on it. but he knows it won't last forever--he's answering his own question in the first part: "is it possible for the world to look this way forever?"... no, because his "air" is running out.
this shows in the end of the song when he's echoing the two parts: "Maybe, the world can look like this forever/ You can breathe but the air is running out"
so yeah. this song is basically about the positives/negatives of cocaine, and the people he experiences all of this with.