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.
Sweet dreams all met with derision
This train, it was armed for collision
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
Clap your hands in the sparkle and glitter
Shake your heads at the twisted and bitter
Oh they don't know how lucky they are
Foot down for the alienation
Look on as your love, its gets lost in translation
To a language that nobody understands
There are smiles as they erode and corrupt you
Of the great expectations you could never live up to
We are lost, we are lost, we are lost
Get you coat, 'cause the righteous are leaving
Cause they can't work out what the hell to believe in
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
No abandon, no heartfelt desire
No love could be worth getting fired
For real, it's surreal, it's so real
So paint over the cracks and then cover
What you thought was the worst ever pain with another
And the first one, it always comes free
How they love you so cold and so vicious
With friends like these, well who needs politicians
The first one, its always comes free
They tell you heroin takes like ice cream
Clever men know all that and all this
And they will talk and they talk and the don't fucking listen
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
It's no life but God, it's a living
Come on Jesus Christ, come back all is forgiven
We are lost, we are lost, we are lost
Have no fear of the state of the nation
Let the facts have no bearing on public relations
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
What a model of Christian behavior
Preach on with the message of "go fuck thy neighbor"
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
It's a shame, it's a shame
Watch your step by the crowd of fanatics
While they kill in the name of applied mathematics
Hate the system even though you invented it
Go kill your brothers and claim self defense of it
Picking up all the secrets and tricks to being
One of the guys whom the shit never sticks to
Take you seats for the final calamity
Don't you look serious, hell, what can the matter be?
Another day and the rot's getting faster
And all the machines started killing the master
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
It's a shame, it's a shame
This train, it was armed for collision
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
Clap your hands in the sparkle and glitter
Shake your heads at the twisted and bitter
Oh they don't know how lucky they are
Foot down for the alienation
Look on as your love, its gets lost in translation
To a language that nobody understands
There are smiles as they erode and corrupt you
Of the great expectations you could never live up to
We are lost, we are lost, we are lost
Get you coat, 'cause the righteous are leaving
Cause they can't work out what the hell to believe in
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
No abandon, no heartfelt desire
No love could be worth getting fired
For real, it's surreal, it's so real
So paint over the cracks and then cover
What you thought was the worst ever pain with another
And the first one, it always comes free
How they love you so cold and so vicious
With friends like these, well who needs politicians
The first one, its always comes free
They tell you heroin takes like ice cream
Clever men know all that and all this
And they will talk and they talk and the don't fucking listen
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
It's no life but God, it's a living
Come on Jesus Christ, come back all is forgiven
We are lost, we are lost, we are lost
Have no fear of the state of the nation
Let the facts have no bearing on public relations
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
What a model of Christian behavior
Preach on with the message of "go fuck thy neighbor"
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
It's a shame, it's a shame
Watch your step by the crowd of fanatics
While they kill in the name of applied mathematics
Hate the system even though you invented it
Go kill your brothers and claim self defense of it
Picking up all the secrets and tricks to being
One of the guys whom the shit never sticks to
Take you seats for the final calamity
Don't you look serious, hell, what can the matter be?
Another day and the rot's getting faster
And all the machines started killing the master
It's a shame, it's a shame, it's a shame
It's a shame, it's a shame
Lyrics submitted by thestephness
State of the Union Lyrics as written by David Ford
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Heard this for the first time today, I think it's fantastic. It reminds me a little of the work of Conor Oberst, but that's just me. I saw this performed on a television show, and when it was remarked upon that "It sounds like you really don't like America" he replied with something along the lines of "No, I really like America. I'm the typical patriot. I love the country for the Idea of what it is...just not really the reality." Amazing song anyway.