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.
Is there ever really a right time
You had led me to believe
Someday you'd be there for me
When the stars above aligned
When you weren't so consumed
I kept looking for the clues
So I waited in the shadows of my heart
And still the time was never right
Until one day I stopped caring
And began to forget why I longed to be so close
And I disappeared into the darkness
And the darkness turned to pain
And never went away
Until all that remained
Was buried deep beneath the surface
A shell of what things could have been
Tired bones beneath a veil
Of guarded secrets all too frail
Sad to think I never knew
You were searching for the words
For the moment to emerge
Yet the moment never came
You couldn't risk my fragile frame
Until one day you stopped caring
And began to forget why you tried to be so close
And you disappeared into the darkness
And the darkness turned to pain
And never went away
Until all that remained
Was buried deep beneath the surface
I would scream just to be heard
As if yelling at the stars
I was bleeding just to feel
You would never say a word
Kept me reaching in the dark
Always something to conceal
Until one day I stopped caring
And began to forget why I longed to be so close
And I disappeared into the darkness
And the darkness turned to pain
And never went away
Until all that remained
Was buried deep beneath the surface
You had led me to believe
Someday you'd be there for me
When the stars above aligned
When you weren't so consumed
I kept looking for the clues
So I waited in the shadows of my heart
And still the time was never right
Until one day I stopped caring
And began to forget why I longed to be so close
And I disappeared into the darkness
And the darkness turned to pain
And never went away
Until all that remained
Was buried deep beneath the surface
A shell of what things could have been
Tired bones beneath a veil
Of guarded secrets all too frail
Sad to think I never knew
You were searching for the words
For the moment to emerge
Yet the moment never came
You couldn't risk my fragile frame
Until one day you stopped caring
And began to forget why you tried to be so close
And you disappeared into the darkness
And the darkness turned to pain
And never went away
Until all that remained
Was buried deep beneath the surface
I would scream just to be heard
As if yelling at the stars
I was bleeding just to feel
You would never say a word
Kept me reaching in the dark
Always something to conceal
Until one day I stopped caring
And began to forget why I longed to be so close
And I disappeared into the darkness
And the darkness turned to pain
And never went away
Until all that remained
Was buried deep beneath the surface
Lyrics submitted by The Letter M, edited by Octavarium64
Beneath the Surface Lyrics as written by John Petrucci
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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