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.
Oh, well lesson dance
And shoot to God
A storm-suffered owl
You're not invisible inside your car
No matter what stupid sort of mission you're on
Well, you're not invisible inside your car
I go absolutely mental
Good ramblin' George
Well, you're not invisible inside your car
No matter, you could breathe it like your flies in a jar
Yeah, you're not invisible
I like the sailing, teeming
Well, it's true that the moon could pull it back and far away from me
I should just let it be
Well, it's true that the moon could pull it back and far away from me
(And it's sad)
Oh, we had to have some kind
Room shaped like a charm
Well, you weren't invisible
Not all along
No matter how many eagles came in the door
We were not invisible
I knew that
I like the sailing, teeming
Well, it's true that the moon could pull it back and far away from me
And there's the orphan sea
We were never invisible, but that I guess we did not see
Of course this all had been laid down
Way before we lay down for it all
Before we had a course, of course
Of course this all had been laid down
Of course we lay down
Of course we lay down
Of course we lay down
Of course we lay down
Of course we lay down
Of course we lay down
I like the sailing, teeming
Well, it's true that the moon could pull it back and far away from me
I like the orphan sea
Well, we were never invisible, but that I guess we could not see
We'll get crushed by the ocean
But it will not get us wet
Crushed by the ocean
But it will not get us wet
Crushed by the ocean
But it will not get us wet
Crushed by the ocean
But it will not get us wet
And shoot to God
A storm-suffered owl
You're not invisible inside your car
No matter what stupid sort of mission you're on
Well, you're not invisible inside your car
I go absolutely mental
Good ramblin' George
Well, you're not invisible inside your car
No matter, you could breathe it like your flies in a jar
Yeah, you're not invisible
I like the sailing, teeming
Well, it's true that the moon could pull it back and far away from me
I should just let it be
Well, it's true that the moon could pull it back and far away from me
(And it's sad)
Oh, we had to have some kind
Room shaped like a charm
Well, you weren't invisible
Not all along
No matter how many eagles came in the door
We were not invisible
I knew that
I like the sailing, teeming
Well, it's true that the moon could pull it back and far away from me
And there's the orphan sea
We were never invisible, but that I guess we did not see
Of course this all had been laid down
Way before we lay down for it all
Before we had a course, of course
Of course this all had been laid down
Of course we lay down
Of course we lay down
Of course we lay down
Of course we lay down
Of course we lay down
Of course we lay down
I like the sailing, teeming
Well, it's true that the moon could pull it back and far away from me
I like the orphan sea
Well, we were never invisible, but that I guess we could not see
We'll get crushed by the ocean
But it will not get us wet
Crushed by the ocean
But it will not get us wet
Crushed by the ocean
But it will not get us wet
Crushed by the ocean
But it will not get us wet
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Also, in response to Pageweknew, I think "We'll get crushed by the ocean but it will not get us wet" means "We'll get crushed by the ocean, and we'll die so fast from it that we won't even feel the water." I think it kinda ties in to the title of the album, "We were dead before the ship even sank."