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.
Oh, I used to live in a tree
I loved it there, but that was not enough for me
so I paved a road to the city
and left the rest of the monkeys
[..Scating...]
(hep to muh me see)
(so meh um ma see)
(heps so us a fine mon-kay)
(that you can meev no-a-ware)
so when I leave (ev oh oh no)
I am the proudest monkey, that I know
monkey see monkey do (hep ba tay)
monkey see monkey do
When I walk, I walk so tall...
not bent or doubled up
like the other monkeys, that I know
still I don'nt know if I have a soul
or if heaven's the place to go
or if hell is where we burn
if sinning is what we do
I know that I'm the smartest monkey, that I know
monkey see monkey do, monkey see
(who go uh puh uh gen)
(who caw me ehn a'theyn)
who taught this monkey...
think he' so great, well
who taught this monkey to
(burr taught this monkey)
to turn in betreyal of his friends
how we are the proudest monkeys
we are the proudest monkeys
you and me are the proudest monkeys
you and I am the proudest monkeys
monkey see monkey do
mobkey see monkey do (het tah)
monkey see monkey do
monkey see monkey do
monkey see monkey do
monkey see monkey do
(spe de, spe de spe de sped eww)
I loved it there, but that was not enough for me
so I paved a road to the city
and left the rest of the monkeys
[..Scating...]
(hep to muh me see)
(so meh um ma see)
(heps so us a fine mon-kay)
(that you can meev no-a-ware)
so when I leave (ev oh oh no)
I am the proudest monkey, that I know
monkey see monkey do (hep ba tay)
monkey see monkey do
When I walk, I walk so tall...
not bent or doubled up
like the other monkeys, that I know
still I don'nt know if I have a soul
or if heaven's the place to go
or if hell is where we burn
if sinning is what we do
I know that I'm the smartest monkey, that I know
monkey see monkey do, monkey see
(who go uh puh uh gen)
(who caw me ehn a'theyn)
who taught this monkey...
think he' so great, well
who taught this monkey to
(burr taught this monkey)
to turn in betreyal of his friends
how we are the proudest monkeys
we are the proudest monkeys
you and me are the proudest monkeys
you and I am the proudest monkeys
monkey see monkey do
mobkey see monkey do (het tah)
monkey see monkey do
monkey see monkey do
monkey see monkey do
monkey see monkey do
(spe de, spe de spe de sped eww)
Lyrics submitted by cellordore
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Love in a Vacuum
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Well, in my opinion this song is about being a young & maybe a little naive &/or introverted girl and finding yourself loving a man who is at first very charming, carefree & outgoing, and seems at first to be without limits, as in
"There was a time
you opened up every doorway
you didn't mind if everything
wasn't your way"
then that man starts to gradually become more introverted & shows their more possessive/obsessive side to you as the relationship progresses, even while they keep up the appearance of being carefree & outgoing to everyone else,
"Don't pull away
that goes against what you told me
I look in your eyes
I realize what you've sold me
is love in a vacuum"
so you confront them about the way they're acting and of course they deny it,
"I think you've changed
but you insist that
that's not true"
quite possibly they are an addict of some sort, my guess would be cocaine, &/or showing very obsessive behavior towards you (early on in the video for this song we see the man hanging a picture up, it is a very large portrait of Aimee & it is prominently displayed in his/their apartment for the duration of the song), thus their "love in a vacuum",
"You look so strange, so distant
that you're hardly you
Now I can see
how you have been acting different
You say it's me
but I know
that it isn't
it's love in a vacuum"
but still you are in love with them and don't want to leave them and you know that they are truly in love with you and they don't want you to leave them either, maybe they are convinced you can save them from themself, maybe they are so broken that the possibility of an overdose &/or suicide attempt is very real and you want to get through to them that their behavior not only dangerous but it is also just pissing you off and if they don't wise up they run the risk of loosing you, as in the lines
"You will be lonely
if you leave me alone", so you want to save them but can't get through to them due to the addiction &/or emotional problems they have,
"Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
love in a vacuum
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
You will be lonely
if you leave me alone
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough"
you want them to understand that the love they are giving you is not enough when it is filtered through the vacuum of their drug addiction &/or emotional impairment,
"You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough
and just wait
you will be lonely
Love in a vacuum
Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
Love in a vacuum".
'Love In A Vacuum' for me is a hauntingly truthful acute argument on the loneliness of obsession and almost inevitable loss of love that follows people who are broken in some way or another; the obsessives, the coke heads, the drunks, addicts or the just-plain-old emotionally broken; a razor sharp, lyrically driven, deceptively poppy, yet ultimately-depressing-in-the-best-way song.
Quintessential Aimee Mann.
Jesse with the long hair....
Robert Earl Keen, Jr.
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Classic love story true to his western tx roots. One of my favorites as a story, but I think there are alot of songs that are amazing not even listed on this site. I guess I should figure out how to add them, because I have about 8 REK cd's.
Techno Ted
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I was so shocked that no one posted the lyrics to this version of Proudest Monkey in songmeanings.net or the dmbalmanac.com. The Red Rocks version has completely different lyrics than the original. Although the lyrics may have been impromptu, and there are a lot of parts where Dave scats instead of singing, I find this version to be quite insightful as to what Dave may have had in mind when writing this song. These are how I interpreted the lyrics, and there may be some who disagree, but for the most part I believe these lyrics to be pretty accurate (PM me if there should be any changes). I also did my best to interpret the scatting, so that maybe we can take a stab at interpreting what Dave may have wanted to say. Enjoy