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.
Happy and I'm smiling
Walk a mile to drink your water
You know I'd love to love you
And above you there's no other
We'll go walking out
While others shout of war's disaster
Oh, we won't give in
Let's go living in the past
Once I used to join in
Every boy and girl was my friend
Now there's revolution, but they don't know
What they're fighting
Let us close our eyes
Outside their lives go on much faster
Oh, we won't give in
We'll keep living in the past
Oh, we won't give in
Let's go living in the past
Oh no, no we won't give in
Let's go living in the past
Walk a mile to drink your water
You know I'd love to love you
And above you there's no other
We'll go walking out
While others shout of war's disaster
Oh, we won't give in
Let's go living in the past
Once I used to join in
Every boy and girl was my friend
Now there's revolution, but they don't know
What they're fighting
Let us close our eyes
Outside their lives go on much faster
Oh, we won't give in
We'll keep living in the past
Oh, we won't give in
Let's go living in the past
Oh no, no we won't give in
Let's go living in the past
Lyrics submitted by knate15, edited by Living in the pust
Living in the Past Lyrics as written by Ian Anderson
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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He certainly did earn that reputation.
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The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
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This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Irony: when the opposite of what is expected happens.
There were a few attempts to get me into Tull, but IA scared me. Seriously. He looked like the type of guy that I could lose a girlfriend/wife to.
OM sounded like magic to me. It was strange and yet beautiful. But it wasn't enough for me to set aside the "alpha male" "instinct" that controlled my youth. So I decided that I could live without it.
The following summer, I ended up working at a camp for rich kids. A place where rich people send their kids to get rid of them for a couple of months. I wasn't actually a counselor, though, so I spent every evening alone in the cabin while everyone else was outside having fun. Well, at least I thought I was alone.
One of the kids had brought along a stereo and a few CDs. One night, I was looking through them and found Aqualung. And, of course, how could anyone not be intrigued by the front cover. So I thought, what the hell, let's hear it. What really sold me was all the "akoostick" guitar playing. There was just something about the way he made it sound. That's all I remember, really, was just being amazed at all these great "akoostick" guitar songs.
And that was the day I "officially 'became' " a Tullee.
And now... the twain it won't stop goin NO WAY 2 Slow Down.