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've been singing
with my tongue, black tongue
I've been breathing
with my lung, black lung
oh reckless abandon
loaded gun, black gun
I've been grieving
for all that is gone, he's gone
I've been singing
with my lung, black lung
I've been aiming
at the sun, black sun
oh present depressants
on my tongue, black tongue
I feel so old
but so young, so young
I've been breathing
with my lung, black lung
I've been staring
at the sun, black sun
oh tasting the rain
with my tongue, black tongue
I've been leaving
everyone, I've gone
people want to know how we sleep at night
we don't, we don't, we don't
with my tongue, black tongue
I've been breathing
with my lung, black lung
oh reckless abandon
loaded gun, black gun
I've been grieving
for all that is gone, he's gone
I've been singing
with my lung, black lung
I've been aiming
at the sun, black sun
oh present depressants
on my tongue, black tongue
I feel so old
but so young, so young
I've been breathing
with my lung, black lung
I've been staring
at the sun, black sun
oh tasting the rain
with my tongue, black tongue
I've been leaving
everyone, I've gone
people want to know how we sleep at night
we don't, we don't, we don't
Lyrics submitted by JackSmirkingRevenge, edited by shepastaway
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