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.
Now I'm of consenting age to be forgetting you in a cabaret
Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen may even ask my name
As she sheds her skin on stage
I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's PA
The strip joint veteran sits two away
Smirking between dignified sips of his dignified
Peach and lime daiquiri
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, but I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead, d-dead, d-dead, d-dead in this place
Well I'm afraid that I
Well that's right
Well I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Well I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead, d-dead, d-dead, d-dead in this place
Well I'm afraid that I
Well that's right
That I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Praying for love and paying in naivety
Praying for love and paying in naivety, oh
Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen may even ask my name
As she sheds her skin on stage
I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's PA
The strip joint veteran sits two away
Smirking between dignified sips of his dignified
Peach and lime daiquiri
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, but I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead, d-dead, d-dead, d-dead in this place
Well I'm afraid that I
Well that's right
Well I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Well I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead, d-dead, d-dead, d-dead in this place
Well I'm afraid that I
Well that's right
That I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Praying for love and paying in naivety
Praying for love and paying in naivety, oh
Lyrics submitted by ADimeADexter
But It's Better If You Do Lyrics as written by George Ross, Spencer Smith, Brendon Urie
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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I think that he is getting ready to be married (I write sins, not tragedies) and he is having his bachelor party at a strip joint, even though he doesn't want to be there. And the stripper likes him and she has him right were she wants him. He doens't like her..he loves the other women he is getting married to. The stripper is praying for him to love her after one lap dance, but she is ignoring the fact that this is a naive thought b/c he is getting married. He faked enjoying the lap dance, b/c he doesn't want to be there.....and then in 'I write sins, not tragedies' he is getting ready to be married and he over hears one of the bridesmaids..and the waiter's convo. and the bridesmaid knows that she probably cheated on him with someone else possibly at her bachelorette party. and he gets mad and says 'i chime in with a haven't you people ever heard of closing a God damn door' b/c he doesn't want to believe it. he says technically their marriage has been saved b/c she probably would have cheated on him again when they got married. and he is being sarcastic and says 'well this calls for a toast so pour the champaign' and he basically gets wasted b/c he is so depressed. Then in 'Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off' he is so pissed off he is talking about his almost wife..he says ' i hope to God he was worth it' b/c he wants her to regret what she did. and the whole part about i have a better kiss...so on so on.. he is saying just what he says she is the best that she ever could ever have, and he wants her to realize that. I mean obviously they had some hard core sex in the passenger seat and he really did love her, and he is heartbroken and he is talking about how he wants to regret what she did. Then in 'There's a good reason these tables are numbered hunny, you just haven't realized it yet' he is getting back at her...b/c they meet at a party and he is the center of attention. And i think that the guy that she(almost wife) cheated on him with obviously left her. and she might be trying to get back with him now b/c she has no one. And the whole part with 'trip to the ladys room.........i bet to them you look like sh--......choke back tears, tell yourself that i'm a diva' and so on....means she really does regret what she did and now she is pissed b/c she is like shit and he is the shit now. Then in ' Time to dance' it could possibly mean that at the party she got so upset that she killed herself or shot(just injured herself) the line ' well she's not bleeding on the ballroom floor...' He is upset that she did that but then again he is like Fuck you bitch forget you 'baby give me a break' hmm well this is pretty long so tell me what you think about my theory k thanks bye :)