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.
This isn't your song, this isn't your music
How can there be wrong, when by committee
They choose it all, they choose it all
You're gonna grow old, you're gonna grow cold
Bearing signs on the avenues, for your own personal Waterloo
You're bearing signs on the avenue for your own personal Waterloo, now
We'll fight, we'll fight
We'll fight for your music halls and dying cities
They'll fight, they'll fight
They'll fight for your neural walls and plasticities
And precious territory, and precious territory, and precious territory
This isn't our song, this isn't even a musical
Think life is too long, to be a whale in a cubicle
Nails under your cuticle
Gonna grow old, you're gonna grow so cold
Before the sun can deliver you, you're bearing signs on the avenue
You're bearing signs for your own personal Waterloo, now
We'll fight, we'll fight
We'll fight for your music halls and dying cities
They'll fight, they'll fight
They'll fight for your neural walls and plasticities
And precious territory, and precious territory, and precious territory
How can there be wrong, when by committee
They choose it all, they choose it all
You're gonna grow old, you're gonna grow cold
Bearing signs on the avenues, for your own personal Waterloo
You're bearing signs on the avenue for your own personal Waterloo, now
We'll fight, we'll fight
We'll fight for your music halls and dying cities
They'll fight, they'll fight
They'll fight for your neural walls and plasticities
And precious territory, and precious territory, and precious territory
This isn't our song, this isn't even a musical
Think life is too long, to be a whale in a cubicle
Nails under your cuticle
Gonna grow old, you're gonna grow so cold
Before the sun can deliver you, you're bearing signs on the avenue
You're bearing signs for your own personal Waterloo, now
We'll fight, we'll fight
We'll fight for your music halls and dying cities
They'll fight, they'll fight
They'll fight for your neural walls and plasticities
And precious territory, and precious territory, and precious territory
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pretty sure its about how society's mentality is evolving and there is a widening gap between the beliefs of the elder generations and the younger generations.
the elder generations are fighting to retain the tradition and comfort with which they are familiar, and dont understand how there can be wrong in this country beneath a democratic government.
the younger generation is too focused on plowing over morality and ethics and, at the expense of personal happiness (about which the elder generation believes life is too long to spend it trapped in a restrictive, emotionless environment), advancing technologically (fight for your neurons and plasticities is a reference to the stem-cell research debate). precious territories is in reference to the quickening rate at which available land is becoming obsolete because of our growing population.