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 your old room
Where we caught you
Stepping through some old song
You said came from
Where you're going
A lady read it in your palm
Down at the 12th Avenue market
Now promise you will not forget
You are going 'til it's gone
The screen went blue
Before I touched you
And my ride went home
All the photos came out lonely, but we
We're not alone
Talking of everything we could not hold
I was stupid, thinking of east coast already
Now it's gone
There are things I cannot forget
I wish none had happened yet
There are some things I cannot forget
We were stronger than the preachers
We were wiser than the law
Took off sleeping by the river
And the beaches in your car
Up where you taught me how to drive a stick
And told me your family secret
You were scared, I was caught
Why'd you stay behind
Packing for the trip?
Why'd you ask me to be the one
First through your lips?
I was awkward and I could not hear
Your body through my body's fear, we were going
To hell
There are things I cannot recall
There are some things that would risk it all
Now these are the things we cannot recall on
These are the things I cannot recall
Where we caught you
Stepping through some old song
You said came from
Where you're going
A lady read it in your palm
Down at the 12th Avenue market
Now promise you will not forget
You are going 'til it's gone
The screen went blue
Before I touched you
And my ride went home
All the photos came out lonely, but we
We're not alone
Talking of everything we could not hold
I was stupid, thinking of east coast already
Now it's gone
There are things I cannot forget
I wish none had happened yet
There are some things I cannot forget
We were stronger than the preachers
We were wiser than the law
Took off sleeping by the river
And the beaches in your car
Up where you taught me how to drive a stick
And told me your family secret
You were scared, I was caught
Why'd you stay behind
Packing for the trip?
Why'd you ask me to be the one
First through your lips?
I was awkward and I could not hear
Your body through my body's fear, we were going
To hell
There are things I cannot recall
There are some things that would risk it all
Now these are the things we cannot recall on
These are the things I cannot recall
Lyrics submitted by rockerbabe99, edited by magnum8
Things I Cannot Recall Lyrics as written by Aaron Nebeker
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I saw them live last week. Best show I've ever been to, hands down. It helps I've been a fan for years. But anywho. Israel said he wrote it for a girl he was seeing. She was moving to New York to go to Bard College.
It's a positive reflection of their time together in high school. We have happy memories, sad memories, and everything in between. We might forget some, others stick with us forever.