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.
If It Starts to Feel, Then we'll just shut it off again.
We won't convince the Jury, we're guilty till we die.
If It starts to sing,
Reach in remove the sirens,
This respirator keeps a countdown to our cancellation.
If It Starts to Bleed do not adjust the contrast.
Doctor, deliver us.
Heaven holds no truth for dreamers like you and I.
Remember the day they cut our throughts we learned to smile from our necks.
This is the breech of etiquette with wires jutting out from arms.
I'll never look at you again, if its only a mirror in the end
And if there's no one after us, we'll turn the lights out when we leave.
I'll never look at you again, if its only a mirror, we're guilty till we die
I'll never look
We're guilty till we die.
I'll never look at you, till we die.
Siphon the Ivory with the tusk, we're guilty till we die.
We only bleed when knives are drawn.
Vultures pick the meat from the bones. we're guilty till we die.
We only love when the camera's on.
If it starts to feel, then we'll just shut it off again.
We won't convince the Jury. we're guilty till we die.
If it starts to feel, then we'll just shut it off again.
We won't convince the Jury, we're guilty till we die.
Do not adjust the contrast, my love our days are numbered.
We'll remain guilty till our hearts give in and pull us under.
We left our corpses on the beach, untouched and slightly out of reach.
We paint the wall's with our dream's.
We'll turn the lights out when we leave
We won't convince the Jury, we're guilty till we die.
If It starts to sing,
Reach in remove the sirens,
This respirator keeps a countdown to our cancellation.
If It Starts to Bleed do not adjust the contrast.
Doctor, deliver us.
Heaven holds no truth for dreamers like you and I.
Remember the day they cut our throughts we learned to smile from our necks.
This is the breech of etiquette with wires jutting out from arms.
I'll never look at you again, if its only a mirror in the end
And if there's no one after us, we'll turn the lights out when we leave.
I'll never look at you again, if its only a mirror, we're guilty till we die
I'll never look
We're guilty till we die.
I'll never look at you, till we die.
Siphon the Ivory with the tusk, we're guilty till we die.
We only bleed when knives are drawn.
Vultures pick the meat from the bones. we're guilty till we die.
We only love when the camera's on.
If it starts to feel, then we'll just shut it off again.
We won't convince the Jury. we're guilty till we die.
If it starts to feel, then we'll just shut it off again.
We won't convince the Jury, we're guilty till we die.
Do not adjust the contrast, my love our days are numbered.
We'll remain guilty till our hearts give in and pull us under.
We left our corpses on the beach, untouched and slightly out of reach.
We paint the wall's with our dream's.
We'll turn the lights out when we leave
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