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.
closing in on empty spaces
winners laugh too soon
a paper world with paper faces
beneath a paper moon
there's a man, a real pacesetter
coming after me
and after him there's someone better and
after him there's me
he'll offer you a cigarette
he'll offer you a light
but he hasn't finished with you yet
on another long, knife night
so look behind you
there's the man you're chasing
look behind you
let's go human racing
human racing
let's go racing now
open arms and open purses
open season's here
fill your heads with clever verses
and then they disappear
silent vows in secret places
they'll get you somehow
'cause you never win in human races
so who's the loser now
look behind you
there's the man you're casing
look behind you
let's go human racing
human racing
let's go racing now
winners laugh too soon
a paper world with paper faces
beneath a paper moon
there's a man, a real pacesetter
coming after me
and after him there's someone better and
after him there's me
he'll offer you a cigarette
he'll offer you a light
but he hasn't finished with you yet
on another long, knife night
so look behind you
there's the man you're chasing
look behind you
let's go human racing
human racing
let's go racing now
open arms and open purses
open season's here
fill your heads with clever verses
and then they disappear
silent vows in secret places
they'll get you somehow
'cause you never win in human races
so who's the loser now
look behind you
there's the man you're casing
look behind you
let's go human racing
human racing
let's go racing now
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Mr Kershaw channelling Stevie Wonder - beautifully sung, and probably my favourite of his. The video is worth watching too, with its 'dystopian-future-as-viewed-from-the-80s' mood suiting the song very well indeed.