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.
Summertime, time, time
Child, the living's easy
Fish are jumping out
And the cotton, Lord
Cotton's high, Lord so high
Your daddy's rich
And your ma is so good looking, baby
She's looking good now
Hush, baby, baby, baby, baby now
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Don't you cry, don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're gonna rise, rise up singing
You're gonna spread your wings, child
And take, take to the sky
Lord, the sky
But until that morning
Honey, n-n-nothing's going to harm ya
No, no, no no, no no, no
No, no, no no, no no, no
No, no, no no, no no, no
Don't you cry, don't you cry
Child, the living's easy
Fish are jumping out
And the cotton, Lord
Cotton's high, Lord so high
Your daddy's rich
And your ma is so good looking, baby
She's looking good now
Hush, baby, baby, baby, baby now
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Don't you cry, don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're gonna rise, rise up singing
You're gonna spread your wings, child
And take, take to the sky
Lord, the sky
But until that morning
Honey, n-n-nothing's going to harm ya
No, no, no no, no no, no
No, no, no no, no no, no
No, no, no no, no no, no
Don't you cry, don't you cry
Lyrics submitted by annazoff
Summertime Lyrics as written by Du Bose Heyward Dorothy Heyward
Lyrics © Raleigh Music Publishing LLC, TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, O/B/O DistroKid, Sentric Music, Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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This version differs from the Gershwin original, not just in the lyrical content, but also in the style. I sing the original while I work (along with a great number of numbers), and could not possibly get myself around Janis' version. It is so damn soulful; I hope I never get so low, and wonder if I can get that high.