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.
come on down to where them tracks cross high street
you gonna watch the whole world go insane
see the lighters hit the rocks in the bushes
like the stars are comin down like rain
here she comes
just a skin and bones skeleton
she's food for the crack cocaine
she got a baby
livin right outside the city
man she don't even remember his name
well his name is Adolf Hitler Albert Einstein Jesse James
all hail
all hail
to the greatest of sales
everything in sight's got to be sold
all hail
all hail
it's to work or to jail
man they're closin them doors on the world
laugh if you want to
really is kinda funny
cause the world is a car
and you're the crash test dummy
herd stampedin now
fences gone
television is always on
and it says
"save the children, but drop the bomb"
replace the word right now
with the word wrong
hey there's a big sale on tuesday
get it before it's gone
get a picture with the four horsemen
for a nominal sum
now that they got everything
they'd like to sell you some
all hail
all hail
to the greatest of sales
cause everything in sight's got to be sold
all hail
all hail
cause it's to work or to jail
man they're closin' them doors on the world
take this pill now,
and put it on your tongue
keep you actin'
just like everyone
keeps you from feelin'
good bad ugly crazy dumb
it ain't a drug god-dammit
I'd give it to my only son
well no one's gonna get arrested
no one's havin' any fun
doctors orders "ya feel yer heart beatin?
go ahead and take ya one"
now yer dumber than a singin' saw
playin Uncomfortably Numb
it's a thorazine work party
with free flouride bubble gum
man, you wander like a zombie
out into the midday sun
all hail
all hail
to the greatest of sales
everything you've got's got to be sold
all hail
all hail
cause it's to work or to jail
man they're closin' them doors
yea they're closin' them doors
yea they're closin' them doors on the world
you gonna watch the whole world go insane
see the lighters hit the rocks in the bushes
like the stars are comin down like rain
here she comes
just a skin and bones skeleton
she's food for the crack cocaine
she got a baby
livin right outside the city
man she don't even remember his name
well his name is Adolf Hitler Albert Einstein Jesse James
all hail
all hail
to the greatest of sales
everything in sight's got to be sold
all hail
all hail
it's to work or to jail
man they're closin them doors on the world
laugh if you want to
really is kinda funny
cause the world is a car
and you're the crash test dummy
herd stampedin now
fences gone
television is always on
and it says
"save the children, but drop the bomb"
replace the word right now
with the word wrong
hey there's a big sale on tuesday
get it before it's gone
get a picture with the four horsemen
for a nominal sum
now that they got everything
they'd like to sell you some
all hail
all hail
to the greatest of sales
cause everything in sight's got to be sold
all hail
all hail
cause it's to work or to jail
man they're closin' them doors on the world
take this pill now,
and put it on your tongue
keep you actin'
just like everyone
keeps you from feelin'
good bad ugly crazy dumb
it ain't a drug god-dammit
I'd give it to my only son
well no one's gonna get arrested
no one's havin' any fun
doctors orders "ya feel yer heart beatin?
go ahead and take ya one"
now yer dumber than a singin' saw
playin Uncomfortably Numb
it's a thorazine work party
with free flouride bubble gum
man, you wander like a zombie
out into the midday sun
all hail
all hail
to the greatest of sales
everything you've got's got to be sold
all hail
all hail
cause it's to work or to jail
man they're closin' them doors
yea they're closin' them doors
yea they're closin' them doors on the world
Lyrics submitted by fonzaloon, edited by s0nspark, PepperReed, freecub
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I believe the missing word is "uncomfortably" numb
Well this song is a great opener to a great CD (Do Wrong Right). In fact I bought this album soley by it's album art. Somehow it cought my eye enough to buy it with out even knowing what genre it was. When I popped it in my radio I was upset because it sounded real folky almost bluegrassy. Then the lyrics kicked in and caught my attention enough to listen on, I think it was the line
"here she comes just a skin and bones skeleton she's food for the crack cocaine"
I absolutely loved the entire album. A great buy! Enough with the blabber though, this song I thought was about our need to consume, but i get thrown off by the last verse. Oviously he is talking about perscription meds and the personality which is lost by taking them. IDK
Great album and a great song. Cellordore I think your right but you missed the broader subject. Its about the various ways we sell our souls, values, pride, intellect ect... through things like drug addiction, consumerism, and overmedication. The line all hail the greatest of sales, everything inside must be sold is a tongue in cheek double entendre reffering to the marketing excess and one selling his/her own values.