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.
Let me take you for a ride
far away from the upper side
we're going down to the mean street
Johnny's got a brand new 38
he thinks it's gonna cure his hate
Ah it's all done in the mean street
It's the state of grace
and It's all done in the mean street
Take my hand and close your pretty eyes
cus it's gonna hurt so much when summer hits
New Nork sky
oh no, it's all done in the mean street
God I love this stormy cloud
Where all nasty girls they like it loud
It's all good in the mean streets
Diane had her grand debut here
Michael couldn't even tell if it was
pleasure or fear
It's all done in the mean street
and It's my little state of grace
It goes down in the mean street
Take my hand and close your pretty eyes
cus it's gonna hurt so much when summer hits
New York sky
oh no, it's all done in the mean street
The heights, the sights, the green, the
scarred
the easy way of doing everything hard,
the fashion
Oh I hate that street with... passion
Take my hand and close your pretty eyes
cus it's gonna hurt so much when summer hits
New York sky
oh no, it's all done in the mean street
it's all done in the mean street
it's all done in the mean street
far away from the upper side
we're going down to the mean street
Johnny's got a brand new 38
he thinks it's gonna cure his hate
Ah it's all done in the mean street
It's the state of grace
and It's all done in the mean street
Take my hand and close your pretty eyes
cus it's gonna hurt so much when summer hits
New Nork sky
oh no, it's all done in the mean street
God I love this stormy cloud
Where all nasty girls they like it loud
It's all good in the mean streets
Diane had her grand debut here
Michael couldn't even tell if it was
pleasure or fear
It's all done in the mean street
and It's my little state of grace
It goes down in the mean street
Take my hand and close your pretty eyes
cus it's gonna hurt so much when summer hits
New York sky
oh no, it's all done in the mean street
The heights, the sights, the green, the
scarred
the easy way of doing everything hard,
the fashion
Oh I hate that street with... passion
Take my hand and close your pretty eyes
cus it's gonna hurt so much when summer hits
New York sky
oh no, it's all done in the mean street
it's all done in the mean street
it's all done in the mean street
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Ah, no one commented on this :-( I'm not gonna find out what street they're talking about :-(
"You know, Diane had her grand debut here And Michael couldn't even tell if it was pleasure or fear"
was that a reference to Diana Ross and Michael Jackson?
i found it neat that the line "Johnny's got a brand new 38/He thinks it's gonna cure his hate" which at first glance seems like he is planning to take some sort of revenge is later referenced in the song dead river , where it seems this character is putting himself out of his misery .