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'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
Yeah, I, I know it's hard to remember
The people we used to be
It's even harder to picture
That you're not here next to me
You say it's too late to make it
But is it too late to try
And in our time that you wasted
All of our bridges burned down
I've wasted my nights
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Oh, you turned your back on tomorrow
'Cause you forgot yesterday
I gave you my love to borrow
But you just gave it away
You can't expect me to be fine
I don't expect you to care
I know I've said it before
But all of our bridges burned down
I've wasted my nights
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
Man, fuck that shit
I'll be out spending all this money
While you're sitting round wondering
Why it wasn't you who came up from nothing
Made it from the bottom
Now when you see me I'm stunting
And all of my cars start with a push of a button
Telling me the chances I blew up
Or whatever you call it
Switch the number to my phone
So you never could call it
Don't need my name on my show
You can tell it I'm ballin'
Swish, what a shame could have got picked
Had a really good game but you missed your last shot
So you talk about who you see at the top
Or what you could have saw but sad to say it's over for
Phantom pulled up valet open doors
Wished I'd go away, got what you was looking for
Now it's me who they want, so you can go and take
That little piece of shit with you
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
Yeah, I, I know it's hard to remember
The people we used to be
It's even harder to picture
That you're not here next to me
You say it's too late to make it
But is it too late to try
And in our time that you wasted
All of our bridges burned down
I've wasted my nights
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Oh, you turned your back on tomorrow
'Cause you forgot yesterday
I gave you my love to borrow
But you just gave it away
You can't expect me to be fine
I don't expect you to care
I know I've said it before
But all of our bridges burned down
I've wasted my nights
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
Man, fuck that shit
I'll be out spending all this money
While you're sitting round wondering
Why it wasn't you who came up from nothing
Made it from the bottom
Now when you see me I'm stunting
And all of my cars start with a push of a button
Telling me the chances I blew up
Or whatever you call it
Switch the number to my phone
So you never could call it
Don't need my name on my show
You can tell it I'm ballin'
Swish, what a shame could have got picked
Had a really good game but you missed your last shot
So you talk about who you see at the top
Or what you could have saw but sad to say it's over for
Phantom pulled up valet open doors
Wished I'd go away, got what you was looking for
Now it's me who they want, so you can go and take
That little piece of shit with you
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
Lyrics submitted by thrwmyhrtawy.
Payphone Lyrics as written by Adam Noah Levine Benjamin Levin
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The video i suggest you watch the video as i do this!
Okay so you know like the story of superman or fairytales or spiderman? well its supposed to be like that. parts of different moveis for ephisizing on "farytale" its not real what hes trying to say. it was fake love. "I'm at a payphone trying to call home" refers to trying to rediscover himself. if you notice no one usues payphones anymore they use cell phones but in this instant he uses a payphone because hes "starting all over" "trying to call home" Woudln't he just call her? hes speaking to an operater. the operater is gonna direct his call. he is trying to call home. "all of my change I spent on you" implies that he was so focused on her, and not his own self, that he doesn't know how to be himself anymore without his ex by his side. hence why hes at payphone and hes in teh middle of nowhere. hes lost at the end on a payphone. now if you notice he ( during 2:28) runs off with a car he stole with her. Why would he run off with out her? as he does that hes singing "I've wasted my nights, You turned out the lights Now I'm paralyzed, Still stuck in that time, When we called it love, But even the sun sets in paradise" now what is he saying? hes saying it was all a waste im leaving but "even the sund sets in paradise" that means theres and end to everything- esp this relationship. Then it proceedss to be a police chase. Meaning (idk how to say it better but ) shes saying "OH HELL NO GET YO ASS BACK HERE WERE STILL IN A RELATIONSHIP" and he clearly doesnt want to be in it. Then its wiz's part Wiz is there not only because he has his part but to point out to "her" that Im doing 100 times better with out you. and repeats it a couple of times then says how i bet she wishs to be with him so on. and hes there just cos. then Adam swerves so that both poilce cars crash meaning he got out of the relationship. as he drives away the "if happy ever after still exist" starts playing as an indication this "farytale is over bitch" and then Adam looks sexy as FUCK and ends the video
@aleyah13 omg I CANT! lmao the last thing you said was HILARIOUS AF! and that was such a beautiful interpretation