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.
Midnight rockers
City slickers
Gunmen and maniacs
All will feature on the freakshow
And I can't do nothing 'bout that, no
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
Terious, terious, terious, infectious and dangerous
Friends and enemies find us contagerious
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin' back at me
To see me lookin' back at you
Lucky dippers
Crazy chancers
Seems to be moving fast
What happened to the nicities
Of my childhood days
Well I can't do nothing 'bout that, no
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
Terious, terious, terious, infectious and dangerous
Friends and enemies I find it's contagerous
And they're spreading through your system like a virus
Yes the trouble in the end it makes you anxious
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin back at me
To see me lookin back at you
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin back at me
To see me lookin back at you
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
City slickers
Gunmen and maniacs
All will feature on the freakshow
And I can't do nothing 'bout that, no
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
Terious, terious, terious, infectious and dangerous
Friends and enemies find us contagerious
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin' back at me
To see me lookin' back at you
Lucky dippers
Crazy chancers
Seems to be moving fast
What happened to the nicities
Of my childhood days
Well I can't do nothing 'bout that, no
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
Terious, terious, terious, infectious and dangerous
Friends and enemies I find it's contagerous
And they're spreading through your system like a virus
Yes the trouble in the end it makes you anxious
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin back at me
To see me lookin back at you
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin back at me
To see me lookin back at you
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world, you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
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its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
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He certainly did earn that reputation.
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The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
This is a very sexy song.
its almost like saying she will be open minded about whats going on in the world ("free my mind") and just let people have their ways ("friends and enemies"), but when it comes to her "baby" she will look into her almost animal instincs to protect it (which is also letting yourself be "free" as in free to your own nature)
i think it is about her wishing to protect her love and also her ability to love in the violent times we have.
"you can free the world, you can free my mind" might be an ironic statement on the 1990/91 political situation with western countries starting to "export" western values like political freedom to the world, sometimes using violence and war; while at the same time on european and us-american streets everyday violence made (and makes) people feel unsafe.
i suppose there's more to it, i don't quite get the context between what she sings and what 3D says.
I think bascially she's singing that she just care about the world around her as there's nothing she can do to change it. All she cares about is that her 'baby' is ok.
Well...I think the song talks about love, love in troubled times.....the world is facing all kinds of different changes and the women is ready to except them, because she, herself...um...can't actually do anything to change the situation, she is to small,....just not strong enough to make the world better, but she has the power to keep the one that she really, really loves safe...she'll do her best to keep him "safe from harm"...That is just my opinion...P.S. This is actually my favorite Massive Attack song, pure art and beauty....it bring those dark, sexy vibes....really beautiful and interesting...
superb voice of shara nelson on a superb song
darken the room, let the song get inside of you...the music is mystical, together with the lyrics (kinda weired, but catchy), sung by this totally fitting voice, cool
Ahhhhhh I just saw Massive Attack live tonight. This song is stuck in my head. It was so beautiful. Shara has the most wonderful voice. I can't properly express how great a time I just had
Sharas voice is so misty and it suits the song so much!
God, I love this song so much! The beat gets stuck in my head all the time, Nelson's voice is so powerful and sexxxxy, and I have a thing for 3D's little rap, which works with Nelson's part so well. Talk to my friends about me spontaneously chanting "I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me to see me looking back at you."