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.
So I sat in the attic, a piano up my nose
And the wind played a dreadful cantata (cantata, cantata)
Sore was I from a crack of an enemy's hose
And the horrible sound of tomato (tomato, tomato)
Catch up (catch up)
Super fury
Don't get left behind (get left behind)
Catch up (catch up)
Super fury (super fury)
Don't get left behind (get left behind, get left behind, get left behind)
When a rattle of rats had awoken
The sinews, the nerves and the veins
My piano was boldly outspoken
In attempts to repeat this refrain
So I stood with a knot in my stomach
And I gazed at that terrible sight
Of two youngsters concealed in a barrel
Smoking monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah) ho
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Oh
Well, I know my banana is older than the rest
And my hair is a tangled beretta (beretta, beretta)
But I leave my pajamas to billy budapest
And I don't get the gist of your letter (your letter, your letter)
Catch up, (catch up)
Cats and kittens (cats and kittens)
Don't get left behind (get left behind)
Catch up, (catch up)
Cats and kittens (cats and kittens)
Don't get left behind (get left behind, get left behind, get left behind)
Oh, monkberry moon delight, yeah, (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight, yeah, yeah, yeah, (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight, (om pah om pah pah)
Oh, monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Oh, monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight oh-oh, (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Suckin' monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
(Om pah om pah pah)
(Om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
(Om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight, (om pah om pah pah)
(om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(om pah om pah pah)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(om pah om pah pah)
Try some of this, honey (om pah om pah pah)
What is it? (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
(Om pah om pah pah)
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
(Om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Uh, monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
And the wind played a dreadful cantata (cantata, cantata)
Sore was I from a crack of an enemy's hose
And the horrible sound of tomato (tomato, tomato)
Catch up (catch up)
Super fury
Don't get left behind (get left behind)
Catch up (catch up)
Super fury (super fury)
Don't get left behind (get left behind, get left behind, get left behind)
When a rattle of rats had awoken
The sinews, the nerves and the veins
My piano was boldly outspoken
In attempts to repeat this refrain
So I stood with a knot in my stomach
And I gazed at that terrible sight
Of two youngsters concealed in a barrel
Smoking monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah) ho
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Oh
Well, I know my banana is older than the rest
And my hair is a tangled beretta (beretta, beretta)
But I leave my pajamas to billy budapest
And I don't get the gist of your letter (your letter, your letter)
Catch up, (catch up)
Cats and kittens (cats and kittens)
Don't get left behind (get left behind)
Catch up, (catch up)
Cats and kittens (cats and kittens)
Don't get left behind (get left behind, get left behind, get left behind)
Oh, monkberry moon delight, yeah, (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight, yeah, yeah, yeah, (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight, (om pah om pah pah)
Oh, monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Oh, monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight oh-oh, (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Suckin' monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
(Om pah om pah pah)
(Om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
(Om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight, (om pah om pah pah)
(om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(om pah om pah pah)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(om pah om pah pah)
Try some of this, honey (om pah om pah pah)
What is it? (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
(Om pah om pah pah)
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
(Om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Uh, monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight (om pah om pah pah)
Monkberry moon delight na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
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I have to say, for 30+ years I've had a real nasty concept of what this song was about, because of two words I misunderstood. I thought the lyrics were:
"Sore was I from the crack of AN ENEMOUS hose".... "Catsup...SUPER PUREE..."
ROFLMAO.... I thought this song was about someone using ketchup as a TOMATO ENEMA, and that was the real meaning of "Monkberry Moon Delight". So, with that in mind, the the lines "So I stood with a knot in my stomach, And I gazed at that terrible sight OH, DO YOU STAND concealed in a barrel, Sucking monkberry moon delight." made perfect sense, with "sucking" meaning taking it up the butt. And "the horrible sound of tomato"... well... we won't even go there. LOL; I'm so ashamed.