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.
Some things are long forgotten
Some things were never said
We were on one endless road
But I had a wandering heart
I said we were opposite lovers
(Said it from the beginning) you kept trying to prove me wrong
(Said you'd always see it through) and I know that I ran you down
So you ran away with your heart
But just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
I know it's hard to hear it
And it may never be enough
But don't take it out on me now
'Cause I blame it all on myself
And I had a fear of forgiveness
(Said it from the beginning) I was too proud to say I was wrong
(Said you'd always see me through) but all that time is gone
No more fearing control, I'm ready for the both of us now
So just know that I want you back
So just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
Just know that I want you back (just know that I want you)
Just know that I want you back (just know that I want you)
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (just know that I want you back, baby)
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us (you back)
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (you back)
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us (you back)
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (you back)
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
Just know that I want you back (just know that I want you)
Just know that I want you back (just know that I want you)
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (just know that I want you back, baby)
(Just know that I want you)
(Just know that I want you back, baby)
I'll take the fall and the fault in us, I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (you back)
Some things were never said
We were on one endless road
But I had a wandering heart
I said we were opposite lovers
(Said it from the beginning) you kept trying to prove me wrong
(Said you'd always see it through) and I know that I ran you down
So you ran away with your heart
But just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
I know it's hard to hear it
And it may never be enough
But don't take it out on me now
'Cause I blame it all on myself
And I had a fear of forgiveness
(Said it from the beginning) I was too proud to say I was wrong
(Said you'd always see me through) but all that time is gone
No more fearing control, I'm ready for the both of us now
So just know that I want you back
So just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
Just know that I want you back (just know that I want you)
Just know that I want you back (just know that I want you)
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (just know that I want you back, baby)
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us (you back)
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (you back)
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us (you back)
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (you back)
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you back
Just know that I want you I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
Just know that I want you back (just know that I want you)
Just know that I want you back (just know that I want you)
Just know that I want you, I'll take the fall and the fault in us
I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (just know that I want you back, baby)
(Just know that I want you)
(Just know that I want you back, baby)
I'll take the fall and the fault in us, I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (you back)
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Want You Back Lyrics as written by Ariel Zvi Rechtshaid Alana Mychal Haim
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The speaker is talking to her ex, swallowing her pride and leaving it on the table that she wants him back. She isn't asking for him back, she isn't desperate and keeps her dignity (no drunk texts asking for him back!). She "just" wants him to know that if he wants her back, she wants him back too.
Some things about their relationship are "long forgotten", and some things "were never said", although now she wishes she had said them. When they were together, she didn't believe it would work ("I said we were opposite lovers" "from the beginning"). She "had a wandering heart" and she ran him down. Even though he stopped loving her ("you ran away with your heart"), she blames "it all " on herself.
If he wants her back, she will "take the fall and the fault in us". She realizes that she didn't treat him right when they were together ("I'll give you all the love I never gave before I left you"). Looking back, she lists off her faults that contributed to their break-up ("I had a fear of forgiveness ... I was too proud to say I was wrong ...fear and control"). She hopes that he remembers what he promised her ("Said you'd always see me through"), and can give them another chance. Now she has learned what she wants (him), improved herself, and is "ready for the both of us now".
Haim has some great deeply emotional lyrics for a real rock band. It's a hard thing to do, to go to your ex and tell them you blame yourself for how the relationship ended and that you want them back. It shows that the speaker has had a lot of time to reflect on it. She is mature enough to recognize her own faults, know what she wants, and go for it. I wish my ex would say this to me...
P.S. The music video is awesome. Who doesn't want to dance down Ventura Blvd at sunrise?