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 that it's here, it's too late.
the whole wide world,
is fearing the wrong things.
falling down a cold staircase.
and persistently i darken my shadow to cover up regret
but the train tracks still lie straight.
it'll be the end of deception.
vertical to the horizon.
it'll be the end of deception.
this is the gun to the manipulation.
bring the end [ow!]
architecture is falling [yeah]
denial; a repetitive trait.
repetition. the walls.
betrayal; a repetitive trait.
i thought this died so long ago,
but reoccuring shame eats at me.
she eats at me. she walked away.
i'm here for forgiveness one more time. i'm slurring a compilation of words.
I plea for your forgiveness,
one more time.
i plea for this [one more time]
i'm asking for your forgiveness, God.
lay her to rest.
the whole wide world,
is fearing the wrong things.
falling down a cold staircase.
and persistently i darken my shadow to cover up regret
but the train tracks still lie straight.
it'll be the end of deception.
vertical to the horizon.
it'll be the end of deception.
this is the gun to the manipulation.
bring the end [ow!]
architecture is falling [yeah]
denial; a repetitive trait.
repetition. the walls.
betrayal; a repetitive trait.
i thought this died so long ago,
but reoccuring shame eats at me.
she eats at me. she walked away.
i'm here for forgiveness one more time. i'm slurring a compilation of words.
I plea for your forgiveness,
one more time.
i plea for this [one more time]
i'm asking for your forgiveness, God.
lay her to rest.
Lyrics submitted by xxmeaghan
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
Well, in my opinion this song is about being a young & maybe a little naive &/or introverted girl and finding yourself loving a man who is at first very charming, carefree & outgoing, and seems at first to be without limits, as in
"There was a time
you opened up every doorway
you didn't mind if everything
wasn't your way"
then that man starts to gradually become more introverted & shows their more possessive/obsessive side to you as the relationship progresses, even while they keep up the appearance of being carefree & outgoing to everyone else,
"Don't pull away
that goes against what you told me
I look in your eyes
I realize what you've sold me
is love in a vacuum"
so you confront them about the way they're acting and of course they deny it,
"I think you've changed
but you insist that
that's not true"
quite possibly they are an addict of some sort, my guess would be cocaine, &/or showing very obsessive behavior towards you (early on in the video for this song we see the man hanging a picture up, it is a very large portrait of Aimee & it is prominently displayed in his/their apartment for the duration of the song), thus their "love in a vacuum",
"You look so strange, so distant
that you're hardly you
Now I can see
how you have been acting different
You say it's me
but I know
that it isn't
it's love in a vacuum"
but still you are in love with them and don't want to leave them and you know that they are truly in love with you and they don't want you to leave them either, maybe they are convinced you can save them from themself, maybe they are so broken that the possibility of an overdose &/or suicide attempt is very real and you want to get through to them that their behavior not only dangerous but it is also just pissing you off and if they don't wise up they run the risk of loosing you, as in the lines
"You will be lonely
if you leave me alone", so you want to save them but can't get through to them due to the addiction &/or emotional problems they have,
"Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
love in a vacuum
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
You will be lonely
if you leave me alone
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough"
you want them to understand that the love they are giving you is not enough when it is filtered through the vacuum of their drug addiction &/or emotional impairment,
"You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough
and just wait
you will be lonely
Love in a vacuum
Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
Love in a vacuum".
'Love In A Vacuum' for me is a hauntingly truthful acute argument on the loneliness of obsession and almost inevitable loss of love that follows people who are broken in some way or another; the obsessives, the coke heads, the drunks, addicts or the just-plain-old emotionally broken; a razor sharp, lyrically driven, deceptively poppy, yet ultimately-depressing-in-the-best-way song.
Quintessential Aimee Mann.
The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Grand Theft Auto
Insane Ian
Insane Ian
The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
it kind of explains it self in a way he's asking god to forgive her of what shes done as for the her i dont know who that is maybe g/f ?
in the Bible, book of Proverbs, it refers to sin as a "she". So, i thgink he's pleaing to God to take sin away from him.
WELL I THINK THAT A GIRL IS GOIN TO HELL AND THAT SHE NEVER ACCEPTED JESUS AS HER SAVIOR SO TH GUY IS TELLING GOD TO FORVIVE HER FOR WAT SHES DONE
this song definately has to be about the Rapture, or the Great Turbulance. i dont exactly know that much about the Great Turbulance, but my sister told me that its like the apocalypse, and that Satan comes and takes all the nihilists (or non-believers) to hell and all the christians or believers to heaven to wait for the new Jerusulm (sp?) to be built. idk really know all that much about it but thats kind of what the Turbulance is about. theres also signs that the Turbulance is coming soon
i believe that this song is about a christian man that is struggling to not be a backslidden christian. and he is with an unsaved girl. they did something and he knows it is wrong so he is asking for forgivness and also to lay her soal to rest and helping her to seek him in salvation.
i agree with IAmAMicrophone completely. his theory makes the most sense with the song. "falling down a cold staircase refers to backsliding.
rapture. apocolypse.
"architecture is falling"
I'm not sure of the whole meaning... but I'd have to agree with IAmAMicrophone, sheltered, and ruskinthebig
I dont think it's point to the "her" being a women. In the bible "her" or "she" is referred to as sin...
he's saying the sin is eating at him repeatedly, and he's asking god for forgiveness and to take it off his mind as well..
Well I do remember watching Passion Of The Christ seeing that SIN is represented as a SHE so.. he's either asking Jesus to forgive his sin, or he has a lady friend in his life that's a nonbeliever, and he's asking god for help to save her?
I always thought of it as a man asking God to forgive his girlfriend/wife for committing suicide. And to "lay her to rest" in the Kingdom of Heaven, with God and Christ our savor.