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.
The people came and listened
Some of them came and played
Others gave flowers away, yes they did
Down in Monterey
Down in Monterey
Young gods smiled upon the crowd
Their music being born of love
Children danced night and day
Religion was being born
Down in Monterey
The Byrds and the Airplane did fly
Oh, Ravi Shankar's music made me cry
The Who exploded into fire and light
Hugh Masekela's music was black as night
The Grateful Dead blew everybody's mind
Jimi Hendrix, baby, believe me
Set the world on fire, yeah
His Majesty, Prince Jones
Smiled as he moved among the crowd
Ten thousand electric guitars
Were groovin' real loud, yeah
You want to find the truth in life?
Don't pass music by
And you know I would not lie, no, I would not lie,
No, I would not lie
Down in Monterey
All right!
Three days of understanding
Of moving with one another
Even the cops grooved with us
Do you believe me, yeah?
Down in Monterey, down in Monterey
Down in Monterey, down in Monterey
I think that maybe I'm dreaming
Monterey, Monterey
Down in Monterey
Did you hear what I say?
Down in Monterey
Some of them came and played
Others gave flowers away, yes they did
Down in Monterey
Down in Monterey
Young gods smiled upon the crowd
Their music being born of love
Children danced night and day
Religion was being born
Down in Monterey
The Byrds and the Airplane did fly
Oh, Ravi Shankar's music made me cry
The Who exploded into fire and light
Hugh Masekela's music was black as night
The Grateful Dead blew everybody's mind
Jimi Hendrix, baby, believe me
Set the world on fire, yeah
His Majesty, Prince Jones
Smiled as he moved among the crowd
Ten thousand electric guitars
Were groovin' real loud, yeah
You want to find the truth in life?
Don't pass music by
And you know I would not lie, no, I would not lie,
No, I would not lie
Down in Monterey
All right!
Three days of understanding
Of moving with one another
Even the cops grooved with us
Do you believe me, yeah?
Down in Monterey, down in Monterey
Down in Monterey, down in Monterey
I think that maybe I'm dreaming
Monterey, Monterey
Down in Monterey
Did you hear what I say?
Down in Monterey
Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit
Monterey Lyrics as written by Danny Mcculloch Barry Jenkins
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I just SAW The Animals at Caesar's Coliseum in Windsor, Ontario (I'm a Detroit Yank.) Edgar Winters was the Opening Act.
They were LOUD (my ears are ringing two days Later) and folks who lose their hearing can lose Other things-such as their Mind. Burdon started with "Spill the Wine from his War Collaboration. He improvised a bit "I was lying in a Field of Medical Marijuana." I actually came of age in the Me Generation Seventies (Fleetwood Mac and Disco) so I was a snot-nosed cartoon-watching kid in the Sixties-Barely aware of Vietnam-and hadn't heard of Woodstock-let alone Monterey. But, MAYBE Monterey was the Better of the two festivals-or the THREE if you count The Stones Altamont Disaster.