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.
Nightmare
Now your nightmare comes to life
Dragged you down below, down to the devil's show
To be his guest forever (peace of mind is less than never)
Hate to twist your mind, but God ain't on your side
An old acquaintance severed (burn the world your last endeavor)
Flesh is burning, you can smell it in the air
'Cause men like you have such an easy soul to steal (steal)
So stand in line while they ink numbers in your head
You're now a slave until the end of time here
Nothing stops the madness turning
Haunting, yearning, pull the trigger
You should've known the price of evil
And it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah
Ooh, it's your fucking nightmare
While your nightmare comes to life
Can't wake up in sweat, 'cause it ain't over yet
Still dancing with your demons (victim of your own creation)
Beyond the will to fight, where all that's wrong is right
Where hate don't need a reason (loathing self-assassination)
You've been lied to just to rape you of your sight
And now they have the nerve to tell you how to feel (feel)
So sedated as they medicate your brain
And while you slowly go insane they tell you
"Given with the best intentions, help you with your complications"
You should've known the price of evil
And it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah
No one to call, everybody to fear
Your tragic fate is lookin' so clear, yeah
Ooh, it's your fucking nightmare
Ha, ha, ha, ha
Fight (fight), not to fail (fail), not to fall (fall)
Or you'll end up like the others
Die (die), die again (die), drenched in sin (sin)
With no respect for another
Oh
Down (down), feel the fire (fire), feel the hate (hate)
Your pain is what we desire
Lost (lost), hit the wall (wall), watch you crawl (crawl)
Such a replaceable liar
And I know you hear their voices (calling from above)
And I know they may seem real (these signals of love)
But our life's made up of choices (some without appeal)
They took for granted your soul
And it's ours now to steal
As your nightmare comes to life
You should've known the price of evil
And it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah
No one to call, everybody to fear
Your tragic fate is looking so clear, yeah
Ooh, it's your fucking nightmare
Now your nightmare comes to life
Dragged you down below, down to the devil's show
To be his guest forever (peace of mind is less than never)
Hate to twist your mind, but God ain't on your side
An old acquaintance severed (burn the world your last endeavor)
Flesh is burning, you can smell it in the air
'Cause men like you have such an easy soul to steal (steal)
So stand in line while they ink numbers in your head
You're now a slave until the end of time here
Nothing stops the madness turning
Haunting, yearning, pull the trigger
You should've known the price of evil
And it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah
Ooh, it's your fucking nightmare
While your nightmare comes to life
Can't wake up in sweat, 'cause it ain't over yet
Still dancing with your demons (victim of your own creation)
Beyond the will to fight, where all that's wrong is right
Where hate don't need a reason (loathing self-assassination)
You've been lied to just to rape you of your sight
And now they have the nerve to tell you how to feel (feel)
So sedated as they medicate your brain
And while you slowly go insane they tell you
"Given with the best intentions, help you with your complications"
You should've known the price of evil
And it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah
No one to call, everybody to fear
Your tragic fate is lookin' so clear, yeah
Ooh, it's your fucking nightmare
Ha, ha, ha, ha
Fight (fight), not to fail (fail), not to fall (fall)
Or you'll end up like the others
Die (die), die again (die), drenched in sin (sin)
With no respect for another
Oh
Down (down), feel the fire (fire), feel the hate (hate)
Your pain is what we desire
Lost (lost), hit the wall (wall), watch you crawl (crawl)
Such a replaceable liar
And I know you hear their voices (calling from above)
And I know they may seem real (these signals of love)
But our life's made up of choices (some without appeal)
They took for granted your soul
And it's ours now to steal
As your nightmare comes to life
You should've known the price of evil
And it hurts to know that you belong here, yeah
No one to call, everybody to fear
Your tragic fate is looking so clear, yeah
Ooh, it's your fucking nightmare
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
I really don't believe this song is about anyone in particular. It seems quite clear to me that the subject of the song is simply being taught the lesson of consequences for committed actions. Perhaps the subject believed what they were doing was the right thing, lied to with the truth twisted by whatever "demons" haunted them. Or perhaps the subject is literally mentally ill, and is unaware of whatever actions they committed.
However, the line I find most curious is thus:
"So sedated as they Medicate your brain And while you slowly Go insane they tell ya "Given with the best intentions Help you with your complications""
Another possibility is that the subject is undergoing some sort of treatment for mental health, and has either been told by their caretakers that what they have done is wrong(and due to the medicated state, believes them). Or perhaps these are the same voices that they have succumbed to in previous verses due to the medication.
There's many ways to take this song, all of which are rather interesting. It almost feels to me like a "Welcome Home(Sanitarium)" message, but with perhaps a much darker protagonist/subject.