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.
In my head there's a city at night
Static gauge with the rush and the lights
Now its concourse you look very fine
But this place here is no friend of mine
And what you know can only mean one thing
And what you know can only mean one thing
Rooted to the place that you spring from
And this dirt was a building before
Shut it down before they opened the door
Don't shout, don't holler, don't you cry
What is passed, we'll just leave it behind
And I rode
Horse shaped fire, draggin' stereo wire
And we rode
Chemicals on 'till the breaking of dawn
And I rose
Over a town raised up by the sound of its drone
And I rode
Higher than forces that can't make the horses lay down
This place here is no friend of mine
What is passed, we'll just leave it behind
And what you know could only mean one thing
And what you know could only mean one thing
Rooted to the place that you spring from
Static gauge with the rush and the lights
Now its concourse you look very fine
But this place here is no friend of mine
And what you know can only mean one thing
And what you know can only mean one thing
Rooted to the place that you spring from
And this dirt was a building before
Shut it down before they opened the door
Don't shout, don't holler, don't you cry
What is passed, we'll just leave it behind
And I rode
Horse shaped fire, draggin' stereo wire
And we rode
Chemicals on 'till the breaking of dawn
And I rose
Over a town raised up by the sound of its drone
And I rode
Higher than forces that can't make the horses lay down
This place here is no friend of mine
What is passed, we'll just leave it behind
And what you know could only mean one thing
And what you know could only mean one thing
Rooted to the place that you spring from
Lyrics submitted by omegadaxer
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!
I kind of got that vibe, too. It also seems, though, that he is doing this things to these people because he has someone back home that he wants to get back to hence the whole thing about being "rooted to the place where you spring from" and the bit about riding chemicals until the breaking of dawn with someone else. I'm not sure, though, but that's what I kind of got out of the song.