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.
Whenever I come back
The air on Railroad is making the same sounds
And the shop fronts on Holly are dirty words
Asterisks in for the vowels
We peered through the windows
New bottoms on barstools, but the people remain the same
With prices inflating
Inflating
As if saved from the gallows
There's a bellow of buzzers
And people stop working
And they're all so excited, excited
Passing through unconscious states
When I awoke, I was on
The highway, highway
Highway, highway
With your hands on my shoulders
A meaningless movement, a movie script ending
And the patrons are leaving
Leaving
Passing through unconscious states
When I awoke, I was on
The highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
And now, we all know the words were true
In the sappiest songs, yes, yes
I'll put them to bed, but they won't sleep
Just shuffling the sheets to toss and turn
You can't begin to get it back
Passing through unconscious states
When I awoke, I was on
The onset of a later stage
The headlights are beacons on
The highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
The air on Railroad is making the same sounds
And the shop fronts on Holly are dirty words
Asterisks in for the vowels
We peered through the windows
New bottoms on barstools, but the people remain the same
With prices inflating
Inflating
As if saved from the gallows
There's a bellow of buzzers
And people stop working
And they're all so excited, excited
Passing through unconscious states
When I awoke, I was on
The highway, highway
Highway, highway
With your hands on my shoulders
A meaningless movement, a movie script ending
And the patrons are leaving
Leaving
Passing through unconscious states
When I awoke, I was on
The highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
And now, we all know the words were true
In the sappiest songs, yes, yes
I'll put them to bed, but they won't sleep
Just shuffling the sheets to toss and turn
You can't begin to get it back
Passing through unconscious states
When I awoke, I was on
The onset of a later stage
The headlights are beacons on
The highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
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The song and video are damn good. I saw them becasue Piebald claimed they were gonna air the video on 120 minutes. This video was the only good one in the 120 mins. I duno know what this song reminds me of, but it makes me think of the girl I love and how I miss her. (probably irrelevant to the songs meaning)