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.
Come on in, take a seat next to me
You know we've got
We've got what you need
We may be liars preaching to choirs
But we can, we can sell your dreams
You don't need sympathy
They got a pill for everything
Just take that dark cloud
Ring it out to wash it down, but
Don't pray for us
We don't need no modern Jesus
To roll with us
The only rule we need is never
Giving up
The only faith we have is faith in us
We're the ones who start little fires
Yet they burn out
But when they're on the rise they can't help but shine
And when the wave approaches Take our ashes to the ocean
Who cares if hell awaits?
We're having drinks at heaven's gate
Don't pray for us
We don't need no modern Jesus
To roll with us
The only rule we need is never
Giving up
The only faith we have is faith in us
We know that we're helpless
At least we always assume
But we don't need to prove nothing to you
Let's keep the cool
You don't need to feel blue
'Cause we won't sell you nothing
You can't use
Don't pray for us
We don't need no modern Jesus
To roll with us
The only rule we need is never
Giving up
The only faith we have is faith in us
You know we've got
We've got what you need
We may be liars preaching to choirs
But we can, we can sell your dreams
You don't need sympathy
They got a pill for everything
Just take that dark cloud
Ring it out to wash it down, but
Don't pray for us
We don't need no modern Jesus
To roll with us
The only rule we need is never
Giving up
The only faith we have is faith in us
We're the ones who start little fires
Yet they burn out
But when they're on the rise they can't help but shine
And when the wave approaches Take our ashes to the ocean
Who cares if hell awaits?
We're having drinks at heaven's gate
Don't pray for us
We don't need no modern Jesus
To roll with us
The only rule we need is never
Giving up
The only faith we have is faith in us
We know that we're helpless
At least we always assume
But we don't need to prove nothing to you
Let's keep the cool
You don't need to feel blue
'Cause we won't sell you nothing
You can't use
Don't pray for us
We don't need no modern Jesus
To roll with us
The only rule we need is never
Giving up
The only faith we have is faith in us
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Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
Well, in my opinion this song is about being a young & maybe a little naive &/or introverted girl and finding yourself loving a man who is at first very charming, carefree & outgoing, and seems at first to be without limits, as in
"There was a time
you opened up every doorway
you didn't mind if everything
wasn't your way"
then that man starts to gradually become more introverted & shows their more possessive/obsessive side to you as the relationship progresses, even while they keep up the appearance of being carefree & outgoing to everyone else,
"Don't pull away
that goes against what you told me
I look in your eyes
I realize what you've sold me
is love in a vacuum"
so you confront them about the way they're acting and of course they deny it,
"I think you've changed
but you insist that
that's not true"
quite possibly they are an addict of some sort, my guess would be cocaine, &/or showing very obsessive behavior towards you (early on in the video for this song we see the man hanging a picture up, it is a very large portrait of Aimee & it is prominently displayed in his/their apartment for the duration of the song), thus their "love in a vacuum",
"You look so strange, so distant
that you're hardly you
Now I can see
how you have been acting different
You say it's me
but I know
that it isn't
it's love in a vacuum"
but still you are in love with them and don't want to leave them and you know that they are truly in love with you and they don't want you to leave them either, maybe they are convinced you can save them from themself, maybe they are so broken that the possibility of an overdose &/or suicide attempt is very real and you want to get through to them that their behavior not only dangerous but it is also just pissing you off and if they don't wise up they run the risk of loosing you, as in the lines
"You will be lonely
if you leave me alone", so you want to save them but can't get through to them due to the addiction &/or emotional problems they have,
"Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
love in a vacuum
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
You will be lonely
if you leave me alone
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough"
you want them to understand that the love they are giving you is not enough when it is filtered through the vacuum of their drug addiction &/or emotional impairment,
"You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough
and just wait
you will be lonely
Love in a vacuum
Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
Love in a vacuum".
'Love In A Vacuum' for me is a hauntingly truthful acute argument on the loneliness of obsession and almost inevitable loss of love that follows people who are broken in some way or another; the obsessives, the coke heads, the drunks, addicts or the just-plain-old emotionally broken; a razor sharp, lyrically driven, deceptively poppy, yet ultimately-depressing-in-the-best-way song.
Quintessential Aimee Mann.
Grand Theft Auto
Insane Ian
Insane Ian
The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
This is about the church telling them what they need to do to behave and why he doesn't need them. He's saying, you don't need to pray for us, we are living a great life and that they are already englightened and changing the world for the best.
Lyrics breakdown:
[Come on in Take a seat next to me You know we got We got what you need We may be liars preaching to choirs But we can We can sell your dreams]
[You don't need sympathy They got a pill for everything Just take that dark cloud Ring it out to wash it down, but Don't pray for us We don't need no modern Jesus To roll with us The only rule we need is never Giving up The only faith we have is faith in us]
[We're the ones who start little fires Yet they burn out But when they're on the rise They can't help but shine]
[And when the wave approaches Take our ashes to the ocean Who cares if hell awaits? We're having drinks at heaven's gate]
[We know that we're helpless At least we always assume But we don't need to prove nothing to you Let's keep the cool You don't need to feel blue 'Cause we won't sell you nothing You can't use]