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.
And as I blagged a cigarette from her,
And gazed upon her nakedness,
She moved her lovely head from side to side,
And said I was just like the rest.
You got what you came for she said,
And that's what you're here for I said, Aren't you?
She pulled a sheet across her body,
And told me to leave the way I came,
I gave a rueful grin and found my clothes,
And mumbled yes, you're all the same.
I am but a man I said,
I do what I can I said, Always.
There's a time for deeds and a time for talking words,
What if I said that I love you,
Would all your morals then be pacified,
The act of love be then more true.
Oh yes you are smart she said,
But where is your heart she said, you better go now.
And as I walked outside and closed the door,
I wondered if I'd won or lost,
And if the status quo was still intact,
And was it worth the time it cost.
And gazed upon her nakedness,
She moved her lovely head from side to side,
And said I was just like the rest.
You got what you came for she said,
And that's what you're here for I said, Aren't you?
She pulled a sheet across her body,
And told me to leave the way I came,
I gave a rueful grin and found my clothes,
And mumbled yes, you're all the same.
I am but a man I said,
I do what I can I said, Always.
There's a time for deeds and a time for talking words,
What if I said that I love you,
Would all your morals then be pacified,
The act of love be then more true.
Oh yes you are smart she said,
But where is your heart she said, you better go now.
And as I walked outside and closed the door,
I wondered if I'd won or lost,
And if the status quo was still intact,
And was it worth the time it cost.
Lyrics submitted by Sixto1953
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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"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.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io