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.
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
But until then"
They told me I would live forever
If I kept it clean
They said I would be the chosen one
If I took one for the team
Yeah, it's the only way to be
Never think it isn't fair
That's a green-eyed panic climb
To the edge of nowhere
Give it to the chicken
And see if it ticks
Yeah, give it to the kitten
And see if it sits
Then give it to the wonderful
Wonderful me
And I will tell on my return
The way it is
With all the happy boys and girls
Yeah, the whole h-h-happy world
And the love they feel for me
Yeah, the love they feel for me
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
They told me I could run the world
If I kept it quiet
They said I could be the man
If I took it out of sight
In a monkey suit again
Having fun with all your friends
How a casual hour can pull
All this world to pieces
Give it to the bunny
And see if she kicks
Yeah, give it to the puppy
And see if he sticks
Then give it to the wonderful
Wonderful me
I'll let you know when I get back
Just how it is with all the other boys and girls
Yeah, the whole, w-, other world
And the way it stirs inside
And the why it never burns at night
And the way they make the climb
And the why they never pray for time
And the way I show surprise
And the why I never close my eyes
Yeah, just how it is
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead"
But until then"
I should at least feel tired, I think
Before I lay me down to dream
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
But until then"
They told me I would live forever
If I kept it clean
They said I would be the chosen one
If I took one for the team
Yeah, it's the only way to be
Never think it isn't fair
That's a green-eyed panic climb
To the edge of nowhere
Give it to the chicken
And see if it ticks
Yeah, give it to the kitten
And see if it sits
Then give it to the wonderful
Wonderful me
And I will tell on my return
The way it is
With all the happy boys and girls
Yeah, the whole h-h-happy world
And the love they feel for me
Yeah, the love they feel for me
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
They told me I could run the world
If I kept it quiet
They said I could be the man
If I took it out of sight
In a monkey suit again
Having fun with all your friends
How a casual hour can pull
All this world to pieces
Give it to the bunny
And see if she kicks
Yeah, give it to the puppy
And see if he sticks
Then give it to the wonderful
Wonderful me
I'll let you know when I get back
Just how it is with all the other boys and girls
Yeah, the whole, w-, other world
And the way it stirs inside
And the why it never burns at night
And the way they make the climb
And the why they never pray for time
And the way I show surprise
And the why I never close my eyes
Yeah, just how it is
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" I said
"Sleep when I'm dead, you angels"
"I'll sleep when I'm dead"
But until then"
I should at least feel tired, I think
Before I lay me down to dream
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Ave Grave
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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.
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Spirit Within
Bertoldi Brothers
Bertoldi Brothers
Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
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Corpse I Fell In Love With
Gadjits, The
Gadjits, The
He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
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Grand Theft Auto
Insane Ian
Insane Ian
The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
I read RS wrote this as he wanted for years to say what he felt strongly about. He said he was tired of people telling him what to do, and that it was time he said what he strongly felt about. Could be about fans trying to tell him how to live his life: I'll sleep when im dead you angels (angels=fans). It also sounds like perhaps people also trying to preach to him about life after death, and as we know RS well, he's a good firm atheist. He's telling them to fuck off basically!
yep it sounds like it, although it seems again some frustrations from his part. He could just be angry for some reason. <br />
I want to live before I die.
@nif That's good to hear, as that is the usual order. :)
"Up, sluggard, and waste not life; in the grave will be sleeping enough."
Try riding the bass line... feel the carefully placed mutes. Notice where they're placed... for instance under the word "Dead..." Very cool.
(As he sings "sleep when I'm dead" there are 3 quick bass mutes, the first two are light, and then the third is held just long enough for you to notice.)
I heard the Gerard Way remix of this and WOW! I luv the synthesizer sound or woteva it is. Wot a gr8 remix.
I heard the Gerard Way remix of this and WOW! I luv the synthesizer sound or woteva it is. Wot a gr8 remix.
I heard the Gerard Way remix of this and WOW! I luv the synthesizer sound or woteva it is. Wot a gr8 remix.
I heard the Gerard Way remix of this and WOW! I luv the synthesizer sound or woteva it is. Wot a gr8 remix.
I heard the Gerard Way remix of this and WOW! I luv the synthesizer sound or woteva it is. Wot a gr8 remix.