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.
Don't listen too hard to the beating of your wings
Or you might fall
You only do what you do 'cause a part of you believes
That you're here at all
But something reminds you
And sometimes I can hear it too
And I don't wanna be the rain
Falling on this impossible parade
So as sure as I can be of anything
I will be so sure about this impossible thing
I, I, I'm hiding out when the chameleon appreas
She comes around
With a werewolf mood swinging from a chandelier
And I hit the ground
Till something reminds me
It's a fools shivering
Oh
And I don't want to the be rain
Falling on the impossible parade
So as sure as I can believe in anything
I will bite my tongue and believe in impossible things
Yeah, I will bite my tongue and believe in impossible things
Yeah, I will bite my tongue
I saw the way
I saw the full moon
I was the way
I saw the full moon
I saw, I saw, I saw the full moon.
I saw the way, the way, the way.
I saw the full moon, the full moon.
Or you might fall
You only do what you do 'cause a part of you believes
That you're here at all
But something reminds you
And sometimes I can hear it too
And I don't wanna be the rain
Falling on this impossible parade
So as sure as I can be of anything
I will be so sure about this impossible thing
I, I, I'm hiding out when the chameleon appreas
She comes around
With a werewolf mood swinging from a chandelier
And I hit the ground
Till something reminds me
It's a fools shivering
Oh
And I don't want to the be rain
Falling on the impossible parade
So as sure as I can believe in anything
I will bite my tongue and believe in impossible things
Yeah, I will bite my tongue and believe in impossible things
Yeah, I will bite my tongue
I saw the way
I saw the full moon
I was the way
I saw the full moon
I saw, I saw, I saw the full moon.
I saw the way, the way, the way.
I saw the full moon, the full moon.
Lyrics submitted by EmotionSickness13
Impossible Lyrics as written by Dempsey Ashworth
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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!
this song is really gorgeous, i just have a hard time deciphering what it's about. i think it is about the protagonist keeping something from this other person, so that their naiive, unrealistic ideals are not destroyed. it seems to me like the protagonist really wants to believe that this person's dreams can be realised, though.
the verses are very hard to figure out, although i love them. "mood-swinging from a chandelier". i love that wordplay. i think the girl may actually know that her 'parade' is 'impossible', but she's hiding that part of herself - 'something reminds you', 'a part of you believes', to not 'listen too hard to the beating of your wings'. i think that the line 'i hit the ground' may be related to the first line ('or you might fall') - the protagonist differs from the girl and 'listens too hard' to his own opinion of the girl's ideas.
the werewolf and chameleon analogies may hint at the girl or situation being very volatile - constantly changing form, 'mood swings'. mm.. tricky paul. i adore it though.