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.
Boys and girls wanna hear a true story?
Saturday night was at this real wild party
They had the liquor overflowin' the cup
About five or six strippers tryin' to work for a buck
Then I took one girl outside with me
Her name was Loni, she went to Junior High with me
I said, "Why you up in there dancin' for cash?
I guess a whole lots changed since I seen you last"
She said
What would you do if your son was at home
Cryin' all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry?
And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man
For a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone
Somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down
I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time
But for me this is what I call life, mm
Girl, you ain't the only one with a baby
That's no excuse to be livin' all crazy
Then she looked me right square in the eye
And said, "Every day I wake up hopin' to die"
She said, "Nigga, I know about pain 'cause
Me and my sister ran away, so my daddy
Couldn't rape us, before I was a teenager
I done been through more shit, you can't even relate to"
What would you do if your son was at home (oh)
Cryin' all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry? (Woah-woah)
And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man
For a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone (yeah, woah, yeah)
Somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down
I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time (oh-oh, oh-woah)
But for me this is what I call life, mm (yeah)
Yo, wait, hold up, hold up
Hold up, hold up, stop the record
Yo, stop the record
Yo shorty, you ain't gonna be goin' out like this man
Hold up
(What would you do?)
Get up on my feet and let go of every excuse
(What would you do?)
'Cause I wouldn't want my baby, to go through what I went through
(Come on, what would you do?)
Get up on my feet, stop makin' tired excuses
(What would you do?)
Girl, I know if my mother can do it, baby, you can do it
What would you do if your son was at home
Cryin' all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry? (Cryin' all alone, yeah)
And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man (only way to feed him)
For a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone (no)
Somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down (yeah)
I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time (yeah)
But for me this is what I call life, mm (oh, no no no)
What would you do if your son was at home (no, no, no, no, no)
Cryin' all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry?
And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man
For a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone
Somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down
I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time
But for me this is what I call life (come on)
What would you do if your son was at home
Cryin' all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry?
And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man
For a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone
Somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down
I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time
But for me this is what I call life, mm
Saturday night was at this real wild party
They had the liquor overflowin' the cup
About five or six strippers tryin' to work for a buck
Then I took one girl outside with me
Her name was Loni, she went to Junior High with me
I said, "Why you up in there dancin' for cash?
I guess a whole lots changed since I seen you last"
She said
What would you do if your son was at home
Cryin' all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry?
And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man
For a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone
Somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down
I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time
But for me this is what I call life, mm
Girl, you ain't the only one with a baby
That's no excuse to be livin' all crazy
Then she looked me right square in the eye
And said, "Every day I wake up hopin' to die"
She said, "Nigga, I know about pain 'cause
Me and my sister ran away, so my daddy
Couldn't rape us, before I was a teenager
I done been through more shit, you can't even relate to"
What would you do if your son was at home (oh)
Cryin' all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry? (Woah-woah)
And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man
For a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone (yeah, woah, yeah)
Somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down
I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time (oh-oh, oh-woah)
But for me this is what I call life, mm (yeah)
Yo, wait, hold up, hold up
Hold up, hold up, stop the record
Yo, stop the record
Yo shorty, you ain't gonna be goin' out like this man
Hold up
(What would you do?)
Get up on my feet and let go of every excuse
(What would you do?)
'Cause I wouldn't want my baby, to go through what I went through
(Come on, what would you do?)
Get up on my feet, stop makin' tired excuses
(What would you do?)
Girl, I know if my mother can do it, baby, you can do it
What would you do if your son was at home
Cryin' all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry? (Cryin' all alone, yeah)
And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man (only way to feed him)
For a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone (no)
Somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down (yeah)
I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time (yeah)
But for me this is what I call life, mm (oh, no no no)
What would you do if your son was at home (no, no, no, no, no)
Cryin' all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry?
And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man
For a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone
Somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down
I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time
But for me this is what I call life (come on)
What would you do if your son was at home
Cryin' all alone on the bedroom floor, 'cause he's hungry?
And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man
For a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone
Somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down
I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time
But for me this is what I call life, mm
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
What Would You Do? Lyrics as written by Delmer Drew Arnaud Calvin Broadus
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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