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.
I woke up this morning
And I thought what am I doing here?
Yeah what am I doing here?
I woke up this morning
And I thought what am I doing here?
Yeah what am I doing here?
Oh, my brother he starts raging
I watch him rising
I see him pounding
And he sucked her and he sucked her and he sucked her dry
And he bit at me and he bit at me and said goodbye
Up on the twenty-ninth floor
Up on the twenty-ninth floor
Well, ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Well I was lying there with just my brother
We could hear someone ratting the locks
Yeah I was lying there with just my brother
And he said yeah man I think it might be the cops?
And we sucked her and we sucked her and we sucked her dry
Yeah we sucked her and we sucked her and we sucked her dry
I was Mickey Mouse
He was the Big Bad Wolf
Next thing you know
I'm looking down below
See a lupine child
With her hair on fire
Little burning girl
Looking up at me
Running to the elevator
Getting in the elevator
Sixth floor
Seventh floor
Eighth floor
Nine
Come on baby
Blow my mind
Ah-ooh, ah-ooh
Oh yeah
I woke up this morning and he was gone
And there were posters in the airports and the stations
We took shelter under her body
We sucked her and we sucked her and we sucked her dry
And we sucked her and we sucked her and we sucked her dry
He kissed me and kissed me and said goodbye
He kissed me and kissed me and said goodbye
Well no time at all
She's walking down the hall
A bat-faced girl
With dynamite curls
Ringing the bell
Banging on the door
Walking like a travelator
Jumping in the elevator
Twenty-two
Twenty-four
Twenty-six
Twenty-nine
Come on baby
Blow my mind
Ah-ooh, ah-ooh
Yeah
And I thought what am I doing here?
Yeah what am I doing here?
I woke up this morning
And I thought what am I doing here?
Yeah what am I doing here?
Oh, my brother he starts raging
I watch him rising
I see him pounding
And he sucked her and he sucked her and he sucked her dry
And he bit at me and he bit at me and said goodbye
Up on the twenty-ninth floor
Up on the twenty-ninth floor
Well, ah-ooh
Ah-ooh
Well I was lying there with just my brother
We could hear someone ratting the locks
Yeah I was lying there with just my brother
And he said yeah man I think it might be the cops?
And we sucked her and we sucked her and we sucked her dry
Yeah we sucked her and we sucked her and we sucked her dry
I was Mickey Mouse
He was the Big Bad Wolf
Next thing you know
I'm looking down below
See a lupine child
With her hair on fire
Little burning girl
Looking up at me
Running to the elevator
Getting in the elevator
Sixth floor
Seventh floor
Eighth floor
Nine
Come on baby
Blow my mind
Ah-ooh, ah-ooh
Oh yeah
I woke up this morning and he was gone
And there were posters in the airports and the stations
We took shelter under her body
We sucked her and we sucked her and we sucked her dry
And we sucked her and we sucked her and we sucked her dry
He kissed me and kissed me and said goodbye
He kissed me and kissed me and said goodbye
Well no time at all
She's walking down the hall
A bat-faced girl
With dynamite curls
Ringing the bell
Banging on the door
Walking like a travelator
Jumping in the elevator
Twenty-two
Twenty-four
Twenty-six
Twenty-nine
Come on baby
Blow my mind
Ah-ooh, ah-ooh
Yeah
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!
More Featured Meanings
Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
Siberian Kiss
Glassjaw
Glassjaw
its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Fuck yeah