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.
It's not that she walked away
Her world got smaller
All the usual places
The same destinations
Only something's changed
It's not that she wasn't rewarded
With pomegranate afternoons
And Mingus, Chet Baker and chess
It's not stampede and fortune
Of prim affectations
She's off on a riot
And she knows now
Is greater than the whole
Of the past
Is greater and now she knows
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
It's not that the transparency
Of her earlier incarnations
Now looked back on
Were rich and loaded
With beautiful vulnerability
But now she knows
Now is greater
And she knows that
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
Now is greater
And she knows that
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
It's not like if angels
Could truly look down
Stir up the trappings
A light on the ground
Remind us of what, when, why or who
The how's up to us
Me and you
And now is greater than the whole
Of the past
Is greater and now she knows that
Now she knows
Her world got smaller
All the usual places
The same destinations
Only something's changed
It's not that she wasn't rewarded
With pomegranate afternoons
And Mingus, Chet Baker and chess
It's not stampede and fortune
Of prim affectations
She's off on a riot
And she knows now
Is greater than the whole
Of the past
Is greater and now she knows
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
It's not that the transparency
Of her earlier incarnations
Now looked back on
Were rich and loaded
With beautiful vulnerability
But now she knows
Now is greater
And she knows that
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
Now is greater
And she knows that
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
She just wants to be somewhere
She just wants to be
It's not like if angels
Could truly look down
Stir up the trappings
A light on the ground
Remind us of what, when, why or who
The how's up to us
Me and you
And now is greater than the whole
Of the past
Is greater and now she knows that
Now she knows
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
She Just Wants to Be Lyrics as written by Michael Mills Peter Buck
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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