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.
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
I can do it you gently
I can do it with an animal's grace
I can do it with precision
I can do it with gourmet taste
But either way
Either, either way
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
I can do it to your mind
I can do it to your face
I can do it with integrity
I can do it with disgrace
But either way
Either way
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell, Johnny
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell
I can do it in a church
I can do it any time or place
I can do it like an angel
To quiet down your rage
But either way
Either, oh either way
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
I can do it in the water
I can do on dry land
I can do it with instruments
I can do it with my own bare hands
But either way, either way
You know where it stands
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell
Johnny, oh my Johnny
Where did your pleasure go
When the pain came through you?
Where did your happiness go?
This force is running you around now
Getting you down now
Where is your pleasure now Johnny?
Where has your pleasure gone now?
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell
Johnny, I wanna blow you
Oh Johnny, away
Johnny, I wanna blow you away
Johnny, every body really doesn't feel okay
Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
I can do it you gently
I can do it with an animal's grace
I can do it with precision
I can do it with gourmet taste
But either way
Either, either way
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
I can do it to your mind
I can do it to your face
I can do it with integrity
I can do it with disgrace
But either way
Either way
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell, Johnny
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell
I can do it in a church
I can do it any time or place
I can do it like an angel
To quiet down your rage
But either way
Either, oh either way
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
I can do it in the water
I can do on dry land
I can do it with instruments
I can do it with my own bare hands
But either way, either way
You know where it stands
I wanna kill you
I wanna blow you away
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell
Johnny, oh my Johnny
Where did your pleasure go
When the pain came through you?
Where did your happiness go?
This force is running you around now
Getting you down now
Where is your pleasure now Johnny?
Where has your pleasure gone now?
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell
Johnny, angry Johnny
This is Jezebel in Hell
Johnny, I wanna blow you
Oh Johnny, away
Johnny, I wanna blow you away
Johnny, every body really doesn't feel okay
Johnny
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Look at the video. The bed, the candies, he obviously fancied her. Then later there are the suitcases she was going to leave.
The tone suggests a sexual theme. The way she says "blow you", you can tell she's using terms from his wants for her own purposes. "I wanna blow you..." but not the way you want.
The tone also shows how very distant and deadened she is from her feelings, she's not exactly angry but she knows this is the very best solution. When she asks where has his pleasure gone that changes it becomes a feeling of power. He enjoyed himself so much at her expense but then the tables turned. She's euphoric in response to his pain. He had to have hurt her bad.
Right before that point the video, she opens the box of candies takes a bite of one and spits it out. It looked like she was thinking she might as well eat them he got them for her right? But then she spits it out. There is no thing he can give her to balance out what he's doing, so it's disgusting. She realizes it fully and tosses the rest as well.
A lot of times in a situation when someone is raped they try to remove themselves from it or distance themselves. Or at times even if it's not their fault they feel like the Jezabel (another word for whore)
He's also called angry Johnny, she talks of ending his rage and in the video they show a male form throwing things. So not only is he a rapist he has anger issues. When she leaves in the end, the place is littered with his destruction.
In the end, she says she wants to blow away every part of him that doesn't feel okay. I don't know how to describe it, but being around someone who's done that to you makes you feel wrong. It's like your everything is screaming to reject them regardless of what you have to show on the outside.
I know the feel from my experience. Now I don't feel like he should die anymore but more like he shouldn't be alive or in this world. Yes, there is a difference. But my god, I had my plan but my friend, current bf now helped me get past that point. For anyone out there they are not worth it, not worth the further ruin of your life. Not unless you seriously need to get away and are in unavoidable danger.
Fear, mental and emotional manipulation stop you from seeing a way out but there's always a way. My way was it was either him or me (I wanted the later but I had a child, I would have to take him too because I couldn't assure him being okay. My sister (like a 2nd mother for him) had slit her own throat not long ago.) but there was another option. There were s few, I couldn't see them through the pain, depression and fear. There always is another way. Going, staying both are hard when someone is twisting your thoughts.
@chi-chi Your analogy sounds about right. I had a relationship where he attempted to cheat on me, then wanted to have me again, sexually. His actions weren\'t because he wanted her sexually, it was done to hurt me. So taking away everything, the relationship, the love, the physical aspect...it hurt him. I was also a rape victim at 16(and a virgin)so having someone I valued so much do such a thing made me want to brag about moving on and being with someone else. It was cruel, but iI felt justified. Sex was something that I didn\'t have with just anybody. After the rape I felt like garbage, worth nothing, but I worked so hard to associate it with love, not the act that scarred my entire life. His cheating, when I gave him something so precious...not just my body, but MY HEART, and his deceitful act threw me away. It was tough, but we survivors are NOT nothing, we are something. I am so sorry about your sister. I\'d hug you if I could!! Thank you for your comment