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.
You heard the sun today
There she blows, there she blows
You saw the wind a-shining
You don't know, you don't know
You felt a tree that does fall
You don't know, that's okay
You don't have much taste for bouquet
I'm bored with the valleys and bored with the peaks
So I bought a ticket to the freaks
I saw a chicken with two heads
Saw something else that was headless
Then PT said see the egress
'Cause you move when the salesman speaks
I superabound
But I still got nothing to do
A space is made by telephone
They thought time would be overthrown
And they compiled a wish list
From Mars duels to a dish kissed
I tried to talk to the Ishist
But he was debating with his clone
I superabound
But I still got nothing to do
Well, they thought it was a coup
But they still got nothing to do
You must see my domicile
I had it built in decastyle
The other day at the potlach
Come visiting was a sasquatch
He said although I'm a mismatch
Could I stay just for awhile?
'Cause the likes of us are few
And we still got nothing to do
I superabound
But I still got nothing to do
There she blows, there she blows
You saw the wind a-shining
You don't know, you don't know
You felt a tree that does fall
You don't know, that's okay
You don't have much taste for bouquet
I'm bored with the valleys and bored with the peaks
So I bought a ticket to the freaks
I saw a chicken with two heads
Saw something else that was headless
Then PT said see the egress
'Cause you move when the salesman speaks
I superabound
But I still got nothing to do
A space is made by telephone
They thought time would be overthrown
And they compiled a wish list
From Mars duels to a dish kissed
I tried to talk to the Ishist
But he was debating with his clone
I superabound
But I still got nothing to do
Well, they thought it was a coup
But they still got nothing to do
You must see my domicile
I had it built in decastyle
The other day at the potlach
Come visiting was a sasquatch
He said although I'm a mismatch
Could I stay just for awhile?
'Cause the likes of us are few
And we still got nothing to do
I superabound
But I still got nothing to do
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I heard the "See the egress" story a little differently: Once you left the freak show at PT Barnum's circus, you'd have to pay to get in again, but once you entered there was really nothing stopping you from just hanging around all day, which many people did. So rather than have to force people out, he just started having a barker come by the tent every few hours and entice people to step outside and see the egress.