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.
Nature, nurture heaven and home
Sum of all, and by them, driven
To conquer every mountain shown
But I've never crossed the river
Braved the forests, braved the stone
Braved the icy winds and fire
Braved and beat them on my own
Yet I'm helpless by the river
Angel, angel, what have I done?
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?
Angel, angel, what have I done?
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?
Pay no mind to the battles you've won
It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle
Open your heart and hands, my son
Or you'll never make it over the river
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
Nature, nurture heaven and home
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
Sum of all, and by them, driven
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
To conquer every mountain shown
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
Braved the forests, braved the stone
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
Braved the icy winds and fire
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
Braved and beat them on my own
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river
Nature, nurture heaven and home
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river
Nature, nurture heaven and home
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river
Sum of all, and by them, driven
To conquer every mountain shown
But I've never crossed the river
Braved the forests, braved the stone
Braved the icy winds and fire
Braved and beat them on my own
Yet I'm helpless by the river
Angel, angel, what have I done?
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?
Angel, angel, what have I done?
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?
Pay no mind to the battles you've won
It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle
Open your heart and hands, my son
Or you'll never make it over the river
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
Nature, nurture heaven and home
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
Sum of all, and by them, driven
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
To conquer every mountain shown
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
Braved the forests, braved the stone
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
Braved the icy winds and fire
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
Braved and beat them on my own
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river
Nature, nurture heaven and home
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river
Nature, nurture heaven and home
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river
Lyrics submitted by Kadoka, edited by armorhide7, Deshra
The Humbling River Lyrics as written by Tim Alexander Maynard James Keenan
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I don't think that it necessarily means death, though it could definitely been taken that way. If you take the Buddhist interpretation it means reaching nirvana, often characterized as crossing a river. The only part that is puzzling to me is "the hands of the many must join as one." Typically in Buddhism it is possible for an individual to reach nirvana without help from others. A Bodhisattva, however, chooses to reincarnate over and over to help all sentient beings reach nirvana, so from a Bodhisattva's point of view, all sentient beings must join together so that we can all cross the river. I don't think Maynard is trying to be too specific, just giving a general feeling of letting go of achievements of the ego and working toward enlightenment, calling for others to join along.
@ChuanRi For someone so knowledgeable you seem to have forgotten the reason why the individual aspires to achieve enlightenment. We do what must be done for the benefit of all. Buddhism has an individual element, but by becoming one with the unborn we become one with all. Remember that to be the "I" the we are all part of, "I" must lose the "we" since there is just "I" and that "we" is actually a dividing statement. All is one, but all are different. Even though we can achieve enlightenment on an individual basis, we will only know the true power of enlightenment once the "all" that are different become the"one" until all we can do is see the buddha in each other until we realize the buddha that is us, or more importantly "I"