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.
Abby listen to the click of the
Fluorescence I found in sweet sad mouth
Weather was the Indian way
I bet you never have drov
(And run on to the village) I'll follow
('Cause happiness ain't bein') a swallow
(Am I late instead
When you wake up late
Found your Velcro shoes
It's a holiday
And run on to the village, I'll follow
'Cause happiness ain't bein' a swallow)
I'm tired, faint
On the old
Beware, it's there, she's here, smile
You'll find reasons
To power all the seasons
Power hope infuses the blood
The child dies
(Don't you worry, I'm your brother
Finch rise early, but you'll recover
I said, I said, I said, I said
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma)
Look who's got a beautiful place
On the Avenue Saigon
Usually we have socks
And my compass to outdoor
(And crouch under a bush) like a mate-uh
('Cause happiness ain't lovin') it's winter
(On a summer day
There's a village way
And the leaves are golden
And the trees are colder
And crouch under a bush like a mate-uh
'Cause happiness ain't lovin' it's winter)
No more, bye. Thrown back out
Your plan on your hands, must carve into shape
Streets are powered with people lovin'
Words are destined to break down and bats will fly
(And if there's trouble, I'm your brother
You'll talk subtle, but that's a cover
I said, I said, I said, I said
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma)
Lame, lame
The doctor only picks what he wants
Sage
So give it to the preacher now
Mad in here, was welling from the westering wing
A moment rang
Your mother's said your girl is gone
(I could have told you (to be livin' in the (place like one?)
I could have told you (you better let the building run)
I could have told you (to be livin' at the building now)
I could have told you (to be livin' in a building)
Swallow do you want to come home
And we'll ride in my buggy
Take me 'cross the Indian waves
And we'll swim with the great whites
(But you can still think back to) the wild
('Cause happiness was being) a child
(Now house is bare
And your mother, lonely
And your village cries
'Cause the kid is older
But you can still think back to the wild
'Cause happiness was being a child)
My bones see for your eyes.
When you retire, she's here, smile
You'll find razors, the doubt always saves 'em
I am the reason that the child dies
(Every morning I'm your brother
Memories push you to paint another
I said, I said, I said, I said
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma)
Bang, nail, a doctor only preach like one
Space, so give it to the preacher now
Madeline, is hanging from the west-wing field, and
A moment rang and the moment said, "your girl is gone"
(I could have told you (to be little in the pouring down)
I could have told you (to be little in the living red sun)
I could have told you (to be livin' in the pounding drum)
I could have told you (to be livin', off far away)
Don't you pray if it's only the play then
Writhe its stampings into the ground, yeah
I won't wait for you in a mural if
You won't wait for me in Albania
I feel so elusive in Houston
You feel so exclusive in Houston
Fluorescence I found in sweet sad mouth
Weather was the Indian way
I bet you never have drov
(And run on to the village) I'll follow
('Cause happiness ain't bein') a swallow
(Am I late instead
When you wake up late
Found your Velcro shoes
It's a holiday
And run on to the village, I'll follow
'Cause happiness ain't bein' a swallow)
I'm tired, faint
On the old
Beware, it's there, she's here, smile
You'll find reasons
To power all the seasons
Power hope infuses the blood
The child dies
(Don't you worry, I'm your brother
Finch rise early, but you'll recover
I said, I said, I said, I said
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma)
Look who's got a beautiful place
On the Avenue Saigon
Usually we have socks
And my compass to outdoor
(And crouch under a bush) like a mate-uh
('Cause happiness ain't lovin') it's winter
(On a summer day
There's a village way
And the leaves are golden
And the trees are colder
And crouch under a bush like a mate-uh
'Cause happiness ain't lovin' it's winter)
No more, bye. Thrown back out
Your plan on your hands, must carve into shape
Streets are powered with people lovin'
Words are destined to break down and bats will fly
(And if there's trouble, I'm your brother
You'll talk subtle, but that's a cover
I said, I said, I said, I said
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma)
Lame, lame
The doctor only picks what he wants
Sage
So give it to the preacher now
Mad in here, was welling from the westering wing
A moment rang
Your mother's said your girl is gone
(I could have told you (to be livin' in the (place like one?)
I could have told you (you better let the building run)
I could have told you (to be livin' at the building now)
I could have told you (to be livin' in a building)
Swallow do you want to come home
And we'll ride in my buggy
Take me 'cross the Indian waves
And we'll swim with the great whites
(But you can still think back to) the wild
('Cause happiness was being) a child
(Now house is bare
And your mother, lonely
And your village cries
'Cause the kid is older
But you can still think back to the wild
'Cause happiness was being a child)
My bones see for your eyes.
When you retire, she's here, smile
You'll find razors, the doubt always saves 'em
I am the reason that the child dies
(Every morning I'm your brother
Memories push you to paint another
I said, I said, I said, I said
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma)
Bang, nail, a doctor only preach like one
Space, so give it to the preacher now
Madeline, is hanging from the west-wing field, and
A moment rang and the moment said, "your girl is gone"
(I could have told you (to be little in the pouring down)
I could have told you (to be little in the living red sun)
I could have told you (to be livin' in the pounding drum)
I could have told you (to be livin', off far away)
Don't you pray if it's only the play then
Writhe its stampings into the ground, yeah
I won't wait for you in a mural if
You won't wait for me in Albania
I feel so elusive in Houston
You feel so exclusive in Houston
Lyrics submitted by Arthur Curry
Bat You'll Fly Lyrics as written by David Portner
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
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!
More Featured Meanings
Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
Well, in my opinion this song is about being a young & maybe a little naive &/or introverted girl and finding yourself loving a man who is at first very charming, carefree & outgoing, and seems at first to be without limits, as in
"There was a time
you opened up every doorway
you didn't mind if everything
wasn't your way"
then that man starts to gradually become more introverted & shows their more possessive/obsessive side to you as the relationship progresses, even while they keep up the appearance of being carefree & outgoing to everyone else,
"Don't pull away
that goes against what you told me
I look in your eyes
I realize what you've sold me
is love in a vacuum"
so you confront them about the way they're acting and of course they deny it,
"I think you've changed
but you insist that
that's not true"
quite possibly they are an addict of some sort, my guess would be cocaine, &/or showing very obsessive behavior towards you (early on in the video for this song we see the man hanging a picture up, it is a very large portrait of Aimee & it is prominently displayed in his/their apartment for the duration of the song), thus their "love in a vacuum",
"You look so strange, so distant
that you're hardly you
Now I can see
how you have been acting different
You say it's me
but I know
that it isn't
it's love in a vacuum"
but still you are in love with them and don't want to leave them and you know that they are truly in love with you and they don't want you to leave them either, maybe they are convinced you can save them from themself, maybe they are so broken that the possibility of an overdose &/or suicide attempt is very real and you want to get through to them that their behavior not only dangerous but it is also just pissing you off and if they don't wise up they run the risk of loosing you, as in the lines
"You will be lonely
if you leave me alone", so you want to save them but can't get through to them due to the addiction &/or emotional problems they have,
"Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
love in a vacuum
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
You will be lonely
if you leave me alone
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough"
you want them to understand that the love they are giving you is not enough when it is filtered through the vacuum of their drug addiction &/or emotional impairment,
"You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough
and just wait
you will be lonely
Love in a vacuum
Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
Love in a vacuum".
'Love In A Vacuum' for me is a hauntingly truthful acute argument on the loneliness of obsession and almost inevitable loss of love that follows people who are broken in some way or another; the obsessives, the coke heads, the drunks, addicts or the just-plain-old emotionally broken; a razor sharp, lyrically driven, deceptively poppy, yet ultimately-depressing-in-the-best-way song.
Quintessential Aimee Mann.
Show Me a Little Shame
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
He certainly did earn that reputation.
when rules change
Life in Your Way
Life in Your Way
High life
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
the synth that comes in when he says mainland is fucking KILLERrrrrr