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.
Outside the cafe by the cracker factory
You were practicing a magic trick
And my thoughts got rude, as you talked and chewed
On the last of your pick and mix
Said, "You're mistaken if you're thinking that I haven't been called "cold" before"
As you bit into your strawberry lace
And then offered me your attention in the form of a gobstopper
It's all you had left and it was going to waste
Your pastimes, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I love that little game you had called
"Crying Lightning"
And how you like to aggravate the ice-cream man on rainy afternoons
The next time that I caught my own reflection
It was on it's way to meet you
Thinking of excuses to postpone
You never looked like yourself from the side
But your profile could not hide
The fact you knew I was approaching your throne
With folded arms you occupied the bench like toothache
Stood and puffed your chest out like you never lost a war
And though I tried so not to suffer the indignity of a reaction
There was no cracks to grasp or gaps to claw
And your pastimes, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called
"Crying Lightning"
And how you like to aggravate the icky man on rainy afternoons
Uninviting
But not half as impossible as everyone assumes you are
Crying lightning
Your pastimes, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called
"Crying Lightning"
"Crying Lightning"
"Crying Lightning"
"Crying Lightning"
Your pastimes, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called
"Crying"
You were practicing a magic trick
And my thoughts got rude, as you talked and chewed
On the last of your pick and mix
Said, "You're mistaken if you're thinking that I haven't been called "cold" before"
As you bit into your strawberry lace
And then offered me your attention in the form of a gobstopper
It's all you had left and it was going to waste
Your pastimes, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I love that little game you had called
"Crying Lightning"
And how you like to aggravate the ice-cream man on rainy afternoons
The next time that I caught my own reflection
It was on it's way to meet you
Thinking of excuses to postpone
You never looked like yourself from the side
But your profile could not hide
The fact you knew I was approaching your throne
With folded arms you occupied the bench like toothache
Stood and puffed your chest out like you never lost a war
And though I tried so not to suffer the indignity of a reaction
There was no cracks to grasp or gaps to claw
And your pastimes, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called
"Crying Lightning"
And how you like to aggravate the icky man on rainy afternoons
Uninviting
But not half as impossible as everyone assumes you are
Crying lightning
Your pastimes, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called
"Crying Lightning"
"Crying Lightning"
"Crying Lightning"
"Crying Lightning"
Your pastimes, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called
"Crying"
Lyrics submitted by olliemilton, edited by jackson1151
Crying Lightning Lyrics as written by Alex Turner
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I just have this weird thought about a dealer. "outside the cafe by the cracker factory You were practicing a magic trick" He's sealing and he pass by and sees him doing drugs or consuming them.
"And my thoughts got rude, as you talked and chewed On the last of your pick and mix" the narrator it's not happy about that, in fact he's angry.
"Said your mistaken if your thinking that I haven't been caught cold before" The dealer is not scared or surprised abot being caught.
"As you bit into your strawberry lace" He continues smoking or sealing.
"And then a flip in your attention in the form of a gobstopper Is all you have left and it was going to waste." Then the deales notice that there was like a kind of loeft over and i think that some kind he get's to sell it to this guy or maybe make him a delaer too (this is the one that goes best with the rst of the lyrics).
"Your past-times, consisted of the strange And twisted and deranged And I love that little game you had called Crying lightning And how you like to aggravate the ice-cream man on rainy afternoons" Here it tells how the dealer puts pressure on the buyers to pay him or something like that and how this impress him
"The next time that I caught my own reflection It was on it's way to meet you" He's a dealer now but still depends on the older one.
"Thinking of excuses to postpone" He owns him some money or something like that
"You never look like yourself from the side But your profile could not hide The fact you knew I was approaching your throne With folded arms you occupy the bench like toothache Saw them, puff your chest out like you never lost a war" The older dealer feels threaten by this new guy. or maybe he thinks he owns him respect or something like that (thats why the narrator feels indignate). and he confront him or something.
And though I try so not to suffer the indignity of a reaction There was no cracks to grasp or gaps to claw. indignation because he feels like an abuse of power.
"And your past-times, consisted of the strange And twisted and deranged And I hate that little game you had called Crying lightning And how you like to aggravate the icky man on rainy afternoons " He doesn't like the pressuring tecnics anymore.
"Uninviting But not half as impossible as everyone assumes You are crying lightning " He thinks that the dealer is not that bad, people is just not confronting him.
FINALLY i think that criying lightning it's like a whim attack