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.
Winter was cold and the clothing was thin
But the gentle shepherd calls the tune
Oh, dear mother what shall I do?
First please your eyes and then your ears, Jenny
Exchanging love tokens say goodnight
Lay down my dear sister
Won't you lay and take your rest?
Won't you lay your head upon your saviors breast?
And I love you but Jesus loves you the best
And I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
Lord, I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
One of these mornings bright and early and fine
Goodnight, goodnight
Not a cricket, not a spirit going to shout me on
Goodnight, goodnight
I go walking in the valley of the shadow of death
Goodnight, goodnight
And his rod and his staff shall comfort me
Goodnight, goodnight
Oh John, the wine he saw the sign
Goodnight, goodnight
Oh, John say, "I seen a number of signs"
Goodnight, goodnight
Tell a for the ark that wonderful boat
Goodnight, goodnight
You know they built it on the land getting water to float
Goodnight, goodnight
Oh, tell B for the beast at the ending of the wood
Goodnight, goodnight
You know it ate all the children when they wouldn't be good
Goodnight, goodnight
I remember quite well, I remember quite well
Goodnight, goodnight
And I was walking in Jerusalem just like John
Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
Who would lose and who would bruise
Or who would live quite prettily?
And who would love what comes along
And fill the air with joyous song
Who would go and who would come
Or who would simply linger?
And who would hide behind your chair
And steal your crystallized ginger?
Nebulous nearnesses cry to me
At this timeless moment someone dear to me
Wants me near, makes me high
I can hear vibrations fly
Through mangoes, pomegranates and planes
All the same
When it reaches me and teaches me
To sigh
Who would mouse and who would lion
Or who would be the tamer?
And who would hear directions clear
From the unnameable namer?
Who would skip and who would plot
Or who would lie quite stilly?
And who would ride backwards on a giraffe?
Stopping every so often to laugh
Amoebas are very small
Oh ah ee oo
There's absolutely no strife
Living the timeless life, I don't need a wife
Living the timeless life
If I need a friend I just give a wriggle
Split right down the middle
And when I look there's two of me
Both as handsome as can be
Oh, here we go slithering, here we go
Slithering and squelching on
Oh, here we go slithering, here we go
Slithering and squelching on
Oh ah ee oo
There's absolutely no strife
Living the timeless life
Black hair, brown hair feather and scale
Seed and stamen and all unnamed lives that live
Turn your quivering nerves in my direction
Turn your quivering nerves in my direction
Feel the energy projection of my cells wishes you well
May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide you all the way on
May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide you all the way on
May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide you all the way on
...
But the gentle shepherd calls the tune
Oh, dear mother what shall I do?
First please your eyes and then your ears, Jenny
Exchanging love tokens say goodnight
Lay down my dear sister
Won't you lay and take your rest?
Won't you lay your head upon your saviors breast?
And I love you but Jesus loves you the best
And I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
Lord, I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
One of these mornings bright and early and fine
Goodnight, goodnight
Not a cricket, not a spirit going to shout me on
Goodnight, goodnight
I go walking in the valley of the shadow of death
Goodnight, goodnight
And his rod and his staff shall comfort me
Goodnight, goodnight
Oh John, the wine he saw the sign
Goodnight, goodnight
Oh, John say, "I seen a number of signs"
Goodnight, goodnight
Tell a for the ark that wonderful boat
Goodnight, goodnight
You know they built it on the land getting water to float
Goodnight, goodnight
Oh, tell B for the beast at the ending of the wood
Goodnight, goodnight
You know it ate all the children when they wouldn't be good
Goodnight, goodnight
I remember quite well, I remember quite well
Goodnight, goodnight
And I was walking in Jerusalem just like John
Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
Who would lose and who would bruise
Or who would live quite prettily?
And who would love what comes along
And fill the air with joyous song
Who would go and who would come
Or who would simply linger?
And who would hide behind your chair
And steal your crystallized ginger?
Nebulous nearnesses cry to me
At this timeless moment someone dear to me
Wants me near, makes me high
I can hear vibrations fly
Through mangoes, pomegranates and planes
All the same
When it reaches me and teaches me
To sigh
Who would mouse and who would lion
Or who would be the tamer?
And who would hear directions clear
From the unnameable namer?
Who would skip and who would plot
Or who would lie quite stilly?
And who would ride backwards on a giraffe?
Stopping every so often to laugh
Amoebas are very small
Oh ah ee oo
There's absolutely no strife
Living the timeless life, I don't need a wife
Living the timeless life
If I need a friend I just give a wriggle
Split right down the middle
And when I look there's two of me
Both as handsome as can be
Oh, here we go slithering, here we go
Slithering and squelching on
Oh, here we go slithering, here we go
Slithering and squelching on
Oh ah ee oo
There's absolutely no strife
Living the timeless life
Black hair, brown hair feather and scale
Seed and stamen and all unnamed lives that live
Turn your quivering nerves in my direction
Turn your quivering nerves in my direction
Feel the energy projection of my cells wishes you well
May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide you all the way on
May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide you all the way on
May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide you all the way on
...
Lyrics submitted by hybrid_rainbow, edited by epiwoosh
Very Cellular Song Lyrics as written by Mike Heron
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Jesse with the long hair....
Robert Earl Keen, Jr.
Robert Earl Keen, Jr.
Classic love story true to his western tx roots. One of my favorites as a story, but I think there are alot of songs that are amazing not even listed on this site. I guess I should figure out how to add them, because I have about 8 REK cd's.
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?
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Love this song. The ending is great, and I'm guessing the Grateful Dead used the second verse for a live album of theirs. I'm not sure, though.