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.
She had four white stallions coming up around the bend
Four strong angels at her command to send
Four more seasons, for all that's broken to mend
I got four good reasons why I cant go back there again
She had skin like a statue, milky white and pure
Carved by an artist who’s hand is demure
Got a mind like a saber
Razor sharp and sure
God how I hate myself for still wanting her
Tell me its nicer dreaming, visions soft and sure
No way to find there's nothing left to me and her
Nothing more but a heart still at war
She had four white stallions coming up around the bend
Four strong angels already sent
Four more seasons for all that's broken to mend…
Four strong angels at her command to send
Four more seasons, for all that's broken to mend
I got four good reasons why I cant go back there again
She had skin like a statue, milky white and pure
Carved by an artist who’s hand is demure
Got a mind like a saber
Razor sharp and sure
God how I hate myself for still wanting her
Tell me its nicer dreaming, visions soft and sure
No way to find there's nothing left to me and her
Nothing more but a heart still at war
She had four white stallions coming up around the bend
Four strong angels already sent
Four more seasons for all that's broken to mend…
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by Mellow_Harsher
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She had four white stallions coming up around the bend four strong angels at her command to send four more seasons, for all thats broken to mend
I got four good reasons why I cant go back there again
She had skin like a statue, milky white and pure carved by an artist who's hand is demure got a mind like a sabre razor sharp and sure
God how I hate myself for still wanting her
Tell me its nicer dreaming, visions soft and sure no way to find theres nothing left to me and her nothing more but a heart still at war
She had four white stallions coming up around the bend four strong angels already sent four more seasons for all thats broken to mend...
This song to me is about falling for a woman that is no good for you and is really a bit of a b!tch.
God how I hate myself for still wanting her
lol, i like that line...
four white stallions is actually a classic songwriting metaphor for being horny, so, controversial as my viewpoint may seem, I think this may be about a "woman of the night" who the character is in love with, but hates it.
what a shithead
well if "four white stallions" really is a metaphor for being horny, then it seems to me that the woman with these stallions would be the "other woman".
i've been thinking lately about why men cheat on their wives when they really are in love. and while i'm sure there are tons of different reasons, i certainly think sexual appeal is obviously so much of it. they can be in love with one woman's entire self, but after being with her and only her, the appeal of a beautiful woman who will sleep with him is too much.
four reasons not to go back...
does adam write songs that aren't about himself? i mean, about characters? 'cause i was thinking, a wife and three kids. something like that.
eh.
I dunno, to me this song isn't about cheating in terms of a wife. Instead its a girl that has 4 different guys, the fifth being Adam. She is beautiful so Adam lusts for her, and she is smart so she can keep all the guys from running off. Adam keeps coming back even though he knows she isn't really his, or anyone's.
four white stallions is a meta. referring to the old childrens rhyme, she'll be coming around the mountain. its about a woman this guy sees once a yr. and when he is with her, he is happy, in this sense, it is someone adam only sees once in awhile, and being that he is always on the road, he is always leaving. this time, he left still wanting her, rather than staying around longer until he realized that there was nothing other than physical attraction for them, even though she was beautiful, and smart, and funny, he just cant be there. this way, its better to remember and want something beautiful, rather than ruin it and the illusion. thats why he cant go back there. he is afraid he will ruin the memory of how wonderful it all was. the four reasons are the four seasons, those are his good reasons, he cant go back for a yr, even if he wanted to. thats why it would never work
I think this song is about physical abuse. "four good reasons" are the knuckles of a fist, he loved her, she was perfect, and he ended up hitting her.. she had four other men in her life who defended her and vowed to kick his ass if he ever came around her again. "four more seasons, for all that's broken to mend" ..."can't go back there again" It's been another year, he still can't get over her and move on, he still loves her, but he knows he screwed up, they are forever at war now, and nothing can take away that one moment of anger and rage.
The thing that makes me believe this is what the song is about, is the fact he never answers the question, what are the "four good reasons" ..it is left for you to interpret and read between the lines. He is ashamed of his actions, so ashamed he can't even bring himself to mention it, except by saying he has four good reasons why he can't go back.
That's my take on it, anyway.
I don't quite think it's abuse, nor an affair, though both possibilities have crossed my mind.
Personally, I think it's more...like when you love a girl who is so beautiful that she could leave you and still have men lined up waiting to take her. Like the four white stallions or four strong angels. And they've broken up and he knows she won't have a problem moving on but he does, he keeps thinking about how beautiful she is, and hates himself for it.
And then he starts to find that there's nothing left of him in her except her heart might still be a little broken.
Just my take.