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.
Where am I gonna land
In the palm of someone's hand
I should have known that the good part was over
That you would leave at the end of the summer
But the stakes were raised
And so I looked the other way
The sky turned red
The world came true
In the way I wanted you
I should have guessed that the moment was passing
I didn't catch all the signs that were flashing
Cause the stakes were raised
And so I looked the other way
All of my hoping just turned into lying
Kidding myself without even trying
I should have noticed the whole thing was dying
But the stakes were raised
And so I looked the other way
The stakes were raised
And so I looked the other way
In the palm of someone's hand
I should have known that the good part was over
That you would leave at the end of the summer
But the stakes were raised
And so I looked the other way
The sky turned red
The world came true
In the way I wanted you
I should have guessed that the moment was passing
I didn't catch all the signs that were flashing
Cause the stakes were raised
And so I looked the other way
All of my hoping just turned into lying
Kidding myself without even trying
I should have noticed the whole thing was dying
But the stakes were raised
And so I looked the other way
The stakes were raised
And so I looked the other way
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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.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.