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 never knew
I never knew that everything was fallin' through
That everyone I knew was waiting on a cue
To turn and run when all I needed was the truth
But that's how it's gotta be
It's comin' down to nothin' more than apathy
I'd rather run the other way than stay and see
The smoke and who's still standing when it clears
And everyone knows I'm in
Over my head, over my head
Eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on your mind
Let's rearrange
I wish you were a stranger, I could disengage
Just say that we agree and then never change
Soften a bit until we all just get along
But that's disregard
Find another friend, and you discard
As you lose the argument in a cable car
Hanging above as the canyon comes between
And everyone knows I'm in
Over my head, over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on your mind
Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head, over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on, on
And suddenly I become a part of your past
I'm becoming the part that don't last
I'm losing you, and it's effortless
Without a sound
We lose sight of the ground in the throw around
Never thought that you wanted to bring it down
I won't let it go down 'til we torch it ourselves
And everyone knows I'm in
Over my head, over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on your mind
Everyone knows
That she's on your mind
Everyone knows I'm in over my head
I'm in over my head
I'm over my
Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head, over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on your mind
I never knew that everything was fallin' through
That everyone I knew was waiting on a cue
To turn and run when all I needed was the truth
But that's how it's gotta be
It's comin' down to nothin' more than apathy
I'd rather run the other way than stay and see
The smoke and who's still standing when it clears
And everyone knows I'm in
Over my head, over my head
Eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on your mind
Let's rearrange
I wish you were a stranger, I could disengage
Just say that we agree and then never change
Soften a bit until we all just get along
But that's disregard
Find another friend, and you discard
As you lose the argument in a cable car
Hanging above as the canyon comes between
And everyone knows I'm in
Over my head, over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on your mind
Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head, over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on, on
And suddenly I become a part of your past
I'm becoming the part that don't last
I'm losing you, and it's effortless
Without a sound
We lose sight of the ground in the throw around
Never thought that you wanted to bring it down
I won't let it go down 'til we torch it ourselves
And everyone knows I'm in
Over my head, over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on your mind
Everyone knows
That she's on your mind
Everyone knows I'm in over my head
I'm in over my head
I'm over my
Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head, over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind, she's on your mind
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I wish you were a stranger I could disengage---this line is amazing. i feel like that right now. sometimes, when u like someone so much but it cant work for whatever reason and u wish you could just forget about them and move on. but u find it so hard because you know him and love everything about him. so it would be easier if he was just like a stranger and u could disconnect your feelings kinda thing. well thats what i think anyways