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.
Well there were days when you thought you'd just go under
And the weekends you never understood
When you flew from the bar only 17
You didn't bleed, and no one ever thought you would
And there were straights and lines and every sort of option
To stay away from broken mirrors and your friends
But the summer was strung with some mightily thread
You know I would never wait around, oh
Come see the hiding rain
Come see the stillness in all them worms
Come see the lovable strain of someone diving for all you know
Come see the strain of a real end-try
Come meet the criminals of this Napoleon ride
And there were the nights we thought we would just surrender
To the stories of the miracles of gulls
Oh and you flew from your sheets
Where your hours gone
Never sleep and no one ever thought you would
Come see the hiding rain
Come see the stillness in all them worms
Come see the lovable strain of someone diving for all you know
Come see the strain of a real end-try
Come meet the criminals of this Napoleon ride
And there are illusions and they're just not even ?some
To walk around a shiny peak of snow
And what a picture that is to be saved for us
Now it's standing like it's just for us to know
There was a time in my life when I was carried by all of you
Now I run like a man
Still don't know what I dive into
Come see the strain of a real end-try
Come meet the criminals of this Napoleon ride
And the weekends you never understood
When you flew from the bar only 17
You didn't bleed, and no one ever thought you would
And there were straights and lines and every sort of option
To stay away from broken mirrors and your friends
But the summer was strung with some mightily thread
You know I would never wait around, oh
Come see the hiding rain
Come see the stillness in all them worms
Come see the lovable strain of someone diving for all you know
Come see the strain of a real end-try
Come meet the criminals of this Napoleon ride
And there were the nights we thought we would just surrender
To the stories of the miracles of gulls
Oh and you flew from your sheets
Where your hours gone
Never sleep and no one ever thought you would
Come see the hiding rain
Come see the stillness in all them worms
Come see the lovable strain of someone diving for all you know
Come see the strain of a real end-try
Come meet the criminals of this Napoleon ride
And there are illusions and they're just not even ?some
To walk around a shiny peak of snow
And what a picture that is to be saved for us
Now it's standing like it's just for us to know
There was a time in my life when I was carried by all of you
Now I run like a man
Still don't know what I dive into
Come see the strain of a real end-try
Come meet the criminals of this Napoleon ride
Lyrics submitted by OVERbeefed, edited by literaturelover
Criminals Lyrics as written by Kristian Matsson
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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