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.
One more cup of coffee
I'm cutting out faster faster faster
I'm walking in circles
Watch the surface tension rise
Far past a quarter to five
Five minutes now and I'm a mess
A second guess, unsympathetic, stressed, obsessed
And dressed up all wrong
Nothing to say nothing to say
Not my time of day
Maybe it's a sign -- you're mine
You froze, that's fine
I wonder wonder, oh I wonder
Mumble mumble, my confidence just crumbles
When sickness speaks and sweetness is secondary
Mumble mumble, sniffle and stumble
And find that I was humbled long ago
Atrophied and aching, my limbs are misaligned
Limping and maligned, it's fine, I fumbled fumbled oh
One more cut you caught me, I'm walking away away away away
It's too late, it's too late, it's much too late
For one more cup of coffee, I'm cutting out faster faster
I'm talking in circles
Cut a circle around my spine
Six centimeters wide
Wide open now and I'm a mess
A second guess, sycophantic, stressed, obsessed
And pressing onward
Mumble mumble, my confidence just crumbles
When sickness speaks and sweetness is secondary
Mumble mumble, sniffle and stumble
And find that I was humbled long ago
I'm cutting out faster faster faster
I'm walking in circles
Watch the surface tension rise
Far past a quarter to five
Five minutes now and I'm a mess
A second guess, unsympathetic, stressed, obsessed
And dressed up all wrong
Nothing to say nothing to say
Not my time of day
Maybe it's a sign -- you're mine
You froze, that's fine
I wonder wonder, oh I wonder
Mumble mumble, my confidence just crumbles
When sickness speaks and sweetness is secondary
Mumble mumble, sniffle and stumble
And find that I was humbled long ago
Atrophied and aching, my limbs are misaligned
Limping and maligned, it's fine, I fumbled fumbled oh
One more cut you caught me, I'm walking away away away away
It's too late, it's too late, it's much too late
For one more cup of coffee, I'm cutting out faster faster
I'm talking in circles
Cut a circle around my spine
Six centimeters wide
Wide open now and I'm a mess
A second guess, sycophantic, stressed, obsessed
And pressing onward
Mumble mumble, my confidence just crumbles
When sickness speaks and sweetness is secondary
Mumble mumble, sniffle and stumble
And find that I was humbled long ago
Lyrics submitted by mswer
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