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.
Uh, uh
Take a breath, take it deep
Calm yourself, he says to me
If you play, you play for keeps
Take the gun and count to three
I'm sweating now, moving slow
No time to think, my turn to go
And you can see my heart beating
You can see it through my chest
Said I'm terrified but I'm not leaving
I know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger (trigger, trigger, trigger)
Say a prayer, to yourself
He says, close your eyes
Sometimes it helps
And then I get, a scary thought
That he's here, means he's never lost
And you can see my heart beating
Oh, you can see it through my chest
Said I'm terrified but I'm not leaving
Know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger
As my life flashes before my eyes
I'm wondering will I ever see another sunrise?
So many won't get the chance to say goodbye
But it's too late to think of the value of my life
And you can see my heart beating
Ohh-oh, you can see it through my chest
Said I'm terrified but I'm not leaving, no
Know that I must pass this test
And you can see my heart beating
Oh, you can see it through my chest
I'm terrified but I'm not leaving, no
Know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger (trigger, trigger, trigger)
Take a breath, take it deep
Calm yourself, he says to me
If you play, you play for keeps
Take the gun and count to three
I'm sweating now, moving slow
No time to think, my turn to go
And you can see my heart beating
You can see it through my chest
Said I'm terrified but I'm not leaving
I know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger (trigger, trigger, trigger)
Say a prayer, to yourself
He says, close your eyes
Sometimes it helps
And then I get, a scary thought
That he's here, means he's never lost
And you can see my heart beating
Oh, you can see it through my chest
Said I'm terrified but I'm not leaving
Know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger
As my life flashes before my eyes
I'm wondering will I ever see another sunrise?
So many won't get the chance to say goodbye
But it's too late to think of the value of my life
And you can see my heart beating
Ohh-oh, you can see it through my chest
Said I'm terrified but I'm not leaving, no
Know that I must pass this test
And you can see my heart beating
Oh, you can see it through my chest
I'm terrified but I'm not leaving, no
Know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger (trigger, trigger, trigger)
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
First off, I just want to say that most of her songs (although it may be all of them) Rihanna doesn't write. So don't think that any of her lyrics are personal. She's just a product--she has the looks, stage presence, and voice (I guess). She's not an artist.
Now for my interpretation of the lyrics: Russian Roulette is a lethal game of chance; so in this song, Russian Roulette symbolizes the chance she's taking in what must be an unhealthy relationship. She keeps mentioning "he" as the one who is giving her the gun and telling her what to do, so that's her boyfriend who is maybe giving her an ultimatum: stay with me or else. He's trying to calm her and make it seem like it's all easy, but you can sense her apprehension and fear.
She has decided to stay with him, which because of all the death allusions in the last verse and final gunshot at the end of the song, forebodes she has made a harmful, deadly (physically or spiritually) choice.