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.
All night long on the broken glass
Living in a medicine chest
Medite-Romanian hotel back
Sprawled across a roll top desk
The monkey rode a blade on an overhead fan
They paint the donkey blue if you pay
I got a telephone call from Istanbul
My baby's coming home today
Will you sell me one of those if I shave my head?
"Get me out of town" is what fireball said
Never trust a man in a blue trenchcoat
Never drive a car when you're dead
Saturday's a festival, Friday's a gem
Dye your hair yellow and raise your hand
Follow me to Beulah's on dry creek road
I got to wear the hat that my baby done sewed
Will you sell me one of those if I shave my head?
"Get me out of town" is what fireball said
Never trust a man in a blue trenchcoat
Never drive a car when you're dead
Saturday's a festival, Friday's a gem
Dye your hair yellow and raise your hand
Follow me to Beulah's on dry creek road
I got to wear the hat that my baby done sewed
Well, take me down to buy a tux on red rose bear
I got to cut a hole in the day
I got a telephone call from Istanbul
My baby's coming home today
Sell me one of those if I shave my head
"Get me out of town" is what fireball said
Never trust a man in a blue trenchcoat
Never drive a car when you're dead
Saturday's a festival, now Friday's just a gem
Dye your hair yellow and raise your hand
Follow me to Beulah's on dry creek road
I got to wear the hat that my baby done sewed, whoa
Living in a medicine chest
Medite-Romanian hotel back
Sprawled across a roll top desk
The monkey rode a blade on an overhead fan
They paint the donkey blue if you pay
I got a telephone call from Istanbul
My baby's coming home today
Will you sell me one of those if I shave my head?
"Get me out of town" is what fireball said
Never trust a man in a blue trenchcoat
Never drive a car when you're dead
Saturday's a festival, Friday's a gem
Dye your hair yellow and raise your hand
Follow me to Beulah's on dry creek road
I got to wear the hat that my baby done sewed
Will you sell me one of those if I shave my head?
"Get me out of town" is what fireball said
Never trust a man in a blue trenchcoat
Never drive a car when you're dead
Saturday's a festival, Friday's a gem
Dye your hair yellow and raise your hand
Follow me to Beulah's on dry creek road
I got to wear the hat that my baby done sewed
Well, take me down to buy a tux on red rose bear
I got to cut a hole in the day
I got a telephone call from Istanbul
My baby's coming home today
Sell me one of those if I shave my head
"Get me out of town" is what fireball said
Never trust a man in a blue trenchcoat
Never drive a car when you're dead
Saturday's a festival, now Friday's just a gem
Dye your hair yellow and raise your hand
Follow me to Beulah's on dry creek road
I got to wear the hat that my baby done sewed, whoa
Lyrics submitted by yuri_sucupira, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Telephone Call From Istanbul Lyrics as written by Thomas Alan Waits
Lyrics © Jalma Music
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Seems pretty straightforward. His girlfriend's been abroad, in Turkey. She's coming home - he knows because he had a phone call from Istanbul. And he's got to tidy up, get some clean clothes, and a bunch of flowers for her.