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 lanes were silent
There was nothing, no one, nothing around for miles
I doused our friendly venture
With a hard-faced
Three-word gesture
I started something
I forced you to a zone
And you were clearly
Never meant to go
Hair brushed and parted
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
And now I'm not too sure
I grabbed you by the guilded beams
Uh, that's what tradition means
And I doused another venture
With a gesture
That was absolutely vile
I started something
I forced you to a zone
And you were clearly
Never meant to go
Hair brushed and parted
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
And now I'm not too sure
I grabbed you by the guilded beams
Uh, that's what tradition means
And now eighteen months' hard labor
Seems fair enough
I started something
And I forced you to a zone
And you were clearly
Never meant to go
Hair brushed and parted
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
And now I'm not too sure
I started something
I started something
Typical me, typical me
Typical me, typical me
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
And now I'm not too sure
OK Stephen, do that again?
There was nothing, no one, nothing around for miles
I doused our friendly venture
With a hard-faced
Three-word gesture
I started something
I forced you to a zone
And you were clearly
Never meant to go
Hair brushed and parted
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
And now I'm not too sure
I grabbed you by the guilded beams
Uh, that's what tradition means
And I doused another venture
With a gesture
That was absolutely vile
I started something
I forced you to a zone
And you were clearly
Never meant to go
Hair brushed and parted
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
And now I'm not too sure
I grabbed you by the guilded beams
Uh, that's what tradition means
And now eighteen months' hard labor
Seems fair enough
I started something
And I forced you to a zone
And you were clearly
Never meant to go
Hair brushed and parted
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
And now I'm not too sure
I started something
I started something
Typical me, typical me
Typical me, typical me
Typical me, typical me
Typical me
I started something
And now I'm not too sure
OK Stephen, do that again?
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery
I Started Something I Couldn't Finish Lyrics as written by Johnny Marr Steven Morrissey
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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It doesn't HAVE to be homosexuality like what KainIIIC said. Its just the words "I love you" that matters.
It seems that he (a person) is shy, thus telling the person when they're alone. However this could lead up to something awkward if the other doesn't feel the same. Once he said that, he kind of forced him to a zone (you just can't walk away from that):
I forced you to a zone And you were clearly Never meant to go
The other didn't feel the same way, so he kind of regretted what he said: I started something ...And now I'm not too sure
He told his other. I guess its tradition (I grabbed you by the guilded beams) but found it vile after he realized it was his mistake:
I grabbed you by the guilded beams Uh, that's what tradition means And I doused another venture With a gesture That was ... absolutely vile
He wanted to take back (his words/gesture) and wanted to replace it with "never mind, thats vile!"
"Seems ... fair enough" (fifth verse) Accepts his fault. It was typical of him to do that.
" ...Do that again ?" It'll be typical of him to do it again. He really does love his other but is afraid of rejection, so its kind of a take back/nevermind/gross the word gesture.
Don't take my word on this by the way...