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.
No (no)
It's not what we meant to say (not what we meant to say)
We don't really love each other
What happens when the summer's over?
How long before distance becomes a chore?
I'm approaching with great, great trepidation
I hope you'll understand
Before you speak (before you speak)
Think about what you're trying to say (think about what you're trying to say)
Who else is there to blame for miscommunication?
You're getting caught up in the excitement
You're making promises you can't keep
You need to leave all your options open
Too much momentum
This room feels like it's going to explode
Too many angles
Too many factors to cover
Waiting for signal
You're searching for a network
You have to fight to stay in control of the situation
Anxiety, anxiety you give me no mercy
Grind my teeth smooth and flat in my sleep
We took some pills to calm us down
Then we needed help to come back up
Just trying to stay in control of the situation
Too much momentum
This room feels like it's going to explode
Too many angles
Too many factors to cover
Waiting for signal
You're searching for network
You have to fight to stay in control of the situation
And they fall apart so easily
Too much momentum
This room feels like it's going to explode
Too many angles
Too many factors to cover
Waiting for signal
You're searching for network
You have to fight to stay in control
You have to fight to stay in control
No, you don't have to fight to stay in control of the situation
It's not what we meant to say (not what we meant to say)
We don't really love each other
What happens when the summer's over?
How long before distance becomes a chore?
I'm approaching with great, great trepidation
I hope you'll understand
Before you speak (before you speak)
Think about what you're trying to say (think about what you're trying to say)
Who else is there to blame for miscommunication?
You're getting caught up in the excitement
You're making promises you can't keep
You need to leave all your options open
Too much momentum
This room feels like it's going to explode
Too many angles
Too many factors to cover
Waiting for signal
You're searching for a network
You have to fight to stay in control of the situation
Anxiety, anxiety you give me no mercy
Grind my teeth smooth and flat in my sleep
We took some pills to calm us down
Then we needed help to come back up
Just trying to stay in control of the situation
Too much momentum
This room feels like it's going to explode
Too many angles
Too many factors to cover
Waiting for signal
You're searching for network
You have to fight to stay in control of the situation
And they fall apart so easily
Too much momentum
This room feels like it's going to explode
Too many angles
Too many factors to cover
Waiting for signal
You're searching for network
You have to fight to stay in control
You have to fight to stay in control
No, you don't have to fight to stay in control of the situation
Lyrics submitted by CowardOfTheYear
Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart Lyrics as written by Laura Jane Grace
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Listening to this awesome song right now, really loving the duet and lyrics against a subtle and tough backdrop of instruments.
These lyrics are so honest about how it's so hard to make up your mind about challenging relationships and how we always second guess ourselves or hang around despite things being so hard. We know that we should cut off these relationships yet there is no easy way to do so.
There are good mentions here about what FM Waves mean for this song, but I wonder if they also refer to long-distance relationships since one cannot be with their significant other so have to communicate through technology across long distances, just as radio waves do
Against Me are truly among the best and most insightful bands out there, probably the best band of the millennium