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.
Look into the sky
Never wondered why
The violence of the sun
See all the little games of
Think they all fall apart
What they have become
Could you see another way? I don't need to say
Well I've seen another way and I need to explain
Look into her eyes
See it's a colored sky
What we have become
All the little children
Playing the game of life
The violence of the sun
Well I've seen your other way out of everything I say
Well I've seen another way when I look into your eyes I see your heart
May you never believe me
Well I woke up and tried to see me
Well you gotta know, what you gonna say
Never wondered why
The violence of the sun
See all the little games of
Think they all fall apart
What they have become
Could you see another way? I don't need to say
Well I've seen another way and I need to explain
Look into her eyes
See it's a colored sky
What we have become
All the little children
Playing the game of life
The violence of the sun
Well I've seen your other way out of everything I say
Well I've seen another way when I look into your eyes I see your heart
May you never believe me
Well I woke up and tried to see me
Well you gotta know, what you gonna say
Lyrics submitted by freedomBono
Violence of the Sun Lyrics as written by Andrew James Stockdale
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.”
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I agree, this one and Eyes Open. Both are amazing songs. Cosmic Egg is a darker album, i think.
In my opinion this is about the long term effects of war on children, hundreds of thousands of children die of direct violence in war each year.
I don't really know what the meaning of this song is. I haven't thought about it enough. But there's something sad about this song, especially during the instrumental ending, it just seems to get slow and mean. This combined with Stockdale's wailing creates a very dark feeling.
I LOVE this song, it is possibly my favourite track from the album, and one of my all time Wolfmother favourites!