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.
You're going to do what I say
And say what I say
You stretch your peacock feathers
You're always on display
Don't act so goddamned conflicted
You wouldn't have it any other way
You're going to write down these words
And pass them along
You're going to fill your book
With your rights and wrongs
You're going to tell your lurid world
The true intentions of these songs
I'm writing out a confession
Every record I've written has left me smitten
A career in masturbation
All in all we're pawns
The ego of mankind stirs in us all
You want to wipe that slate
And start all over again
You want to hide your face
In shame of what your grandpappy did
Pretty soon here we'll all be grandfathers
And our offspring will sing the same shit
The world was built on ego
It was built on slaves
The world was built on a tickle
Between our legs
Come on, you big strong man
You wouldn't have it any other way
I'm writing out a confession
My fathers and brothers
Raped your sisters and mothers
We are the sons of butchers
All in all we're pawns
The darkness of mankind stirs in us all
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I'll drag you out
I'll drive you out
I'll drug you out
I'll tear you out
I'll cut you out
I'll kick you out
I'll push you out
I'll pull you out
I cast you out
I'll curse you out
I'll shut you out
I'll shit you out
I'll clean you out
Grab a rope and hang you out to dry
Now I'll damn you out
I cast you out
I'll shove you out
I'm staying
All in all we're pawns
The darkness of mankind stirs in us all
And say what I say
You stretch your peacock feathers
You're always on display
Don't act so goddamned conflicted
You wouldn't have it any other way
You're going to write down these words
And pass them along
You're going to fill your book
With your rights and wrongs
You're going to tell your lurid world
The true intentions of these songs
I'm writing out a confession
Every record I've written has left me smitten
A career in masturbation
All in all we're pawns
The ego of mankind stirs in us all
You want to wipe that slate
And start all over again
You want to hide your face
In shame of what your grandpappy did
Pretty soon here we'll all be grandfathers
And our offspring will sing the same shit
The world was built on ego
It was built on slaves
The world was built on a tickle
Between our legs
Come on, you big strong man
You wouldn't have it any other way
I'm writing out a confession
My fathers and brothers
Raped your sisters and mothers
We are the sons of butchers
All in all we're pawns
The darkness of mankind stirs in us all
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I'll drag you out
I'll drive you out
I'll drug you out
I'll tear you out
I'll cut you out
I'll kick you out
I'll push you out
I'll pull you out
I cast you out
I'll curse you out
I'll shut you out
I'll shit you out
I'll clean you out
Grab a rope and hang you out to dry
Now I'll damn you out
I cast you out
I'll shove you out
I'm staying
All in all we're pawns
The darkness of mankind stirs in us all
Lyrics submitted by semanticantics
Mama, I'm Satan Lyrics as written by Ted James Stevens Matthew Ryan Maginn
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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!
More Featured Meanings
Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
im just gonna say that hes got to believe in God right? its like hes agianst organized.. but then agian he uses the Lords name in vein.. DANGIT
i love em but i feel so convicted but then agian i dont.. i just love to hear other people's problems especially with spiritual warfare.
Yeah man I totally agree, it is very interesting to see people's perspectives on God and humanity displayed in themes throughout an album. I got As Cities Burn's new album "Hell or High Water" at about the same time as this one and it is funny how contrasting they are. Both are fairly dark albums talking about difficult themes but As Cities Burn has a very Christian twist to the whole thing, ending with a lot more optimism than Tim expresses throughout "Mama I'm Swollen."<br /> <br /> I can't figure out what he believes or doesn't believe from his music completely but if I had to guess I would say he was raised Catholic and has become quite bitter and resentful towards the whole scene. This is a common trend I see in Catholic kids as the emphasis placed on works can really get to them and wear them down over time. I would love to have a conversation with Tim about Christianity to see what he thinks about it, although it is fairly obvious that he has rejected God, at least for the time being.<br /> <br /> I wonder if he believes in God though? Maybe someone else can confirm or some of the things I've said as right or wrong. Either way, great music is generally emotional (in my opinion), and this CD is full of emotion. Much darker than older albums but very enjoyable.
do some research, he is atheist. the band has recently been referred to as “a religious experience for the atheist”
this song is about how our ego and our desire to have our ego's fed is the root of all evil. in particular he talks about male ego and how sexual instinct turned into the systematic oppression of women for most of man's history. he also talks about how evil is cyclical, we blame our ancestors for the atrocities they committed, and then we end up giving into the the same temptations, repeating their mistakes, and passing them on to our children. but he admits that most of the people at the bottom who fall victim to an evil system can't be blamed themselves, they are just pawns. it's the ego's at the top, the people who exploit millions for their own gain and fortune, that should be blamed.
Awesome, awesome song. Can't decide between this and "What Have I Done"...
I think I like this more but the other is better written.
the guitar before "you want to wipe that slate" reminds me of happy hollow for no good reason. new cursive equals old cursive plus masturbation references, and i love it.
This song is about songmeanings.net
The second verse I mean.
haha yeah I when the the lyrics played I though "that's exactly what I'm going to do but you don't know my spin"....
Picking up from the last album of tossing God aside, he's now casting out the devil from within....oh interesting, what a tangled web you wove, I hope the bugs were juicy (for your soul at least).
Funny how atheist artists waste all of their time writing about a God they don't believe in. Don't they have more important things to write about? For instance, the meaninglessness of life, proving that nothing came from nothing, and figuring out how to believe in an unbelief?
you haven't figured out how to believe in an "unbelief"? well, i have some bad news about santa claus and the easter bunny for you...
You're not believing in unbelief in those examples. A cat has unbelief in the easter bunny because (as far as we know) it has no idea that the easter bunny could or couldn't exist. It isn't familiar with the idea.<br /> <br /> Once you become familiar with the idea of anything, whether it's God or the easter bunny, your mind must chose to believe or not to believe. It's simple really. <br /> <br /> You don't have "unbelief" in the easter bunny. A cat has that. You don't believe in the easter bunny.