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.
Down by the sea
I found your hidden treasure
Just you and me,
We overdosed on pleasure
Yonnies in the wind,
We're ruggin' up for winter
Putting out the bins
In cold and windy weather
Down by the docks
Live all the silent sea-ships
Crates are stored on blocks
Where now only the rats live
Sail me down the river
Till we reach the shore
Diving into the center
Eating out the core
Down on the beach
Saluting Captain Benbow
Always out of reach
It's quiet when the tide's low
Climbing up the cliffs
You can see for miles far
The boat that ran adrift
Is sitting on the sandbar
Laughing at the waves
That storm the river mouth
The ice is on the move now
Creeping north and south
Down by the sea
I found your hidden treasure
Just you and me
We over-dosed on pleasure
Listen to your heart
Screamin' at the sky
Can't you feel it tremble?
Don't you wonder why?
I found your hidden treasure
Just you and me,
We overdosed on pleasure
Yonnies in the wind,
We're ruggin' up for winter
Putting out the bins
In cold and windy weather
Down by the docks
Live all the silent sea-ships
Crates are stored on blocks
Where now only the rats live
Sail me down the river
Till we reach the shore
Diving into the center
Eating out the core
Down on the beach
Saluting Captain Benbow
Always out of reach
It's quiet when the tide's low
Climbing up the cliffs
You can see for miles far
The boat that ran adrift
Is sitting on the sandbar
Laughing at the waves
That storm the river mouth
The ice is on the move now
Creeping north and south
Down by the sea
I found your hidden treasure
Just you and me
We over-dosed on pleasure
Listen to your heart
Screamin' at the sky
Can't you feel it tremble?
Don't you wonder why?
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery
Down by the Sea Lyrics as written by Colin James Hay Gregory Ham
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I am proposing that this location "Down By The Sea" is in Portsmouth, UK (England). Colin Hay is from North Ayrshire Scotland which is 8 hours north by car of Portsmouth, or less than 2 hours by air. Colin lived in Scotland until he was 14, so I'm not sure if this song is based on a romance from his youth, or later in life.
They overdosed on pleasure on the beach near Portsmouth Historic Dockyard which is open to the public. Yonnies in the wind, are stones that they threw into the water. Ruggin' up for winter could be the clothes they wore, or it could be the Dockyard setting up for winter operations. Bins are trash containers that perhaps workers were putting out. Down by the docks live all the silent sea ships which are historic ships that are permanently placed there. You can look these up on the wiki page for Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Sailing down the river to the shore is definitely possible if you lookup the region on google maps. Diving to the center, eating out the core could be oral sex on the beach, at Southsea Beach specifically, or perhaps the path of their boat moving inland toward Hayling Island. Saluting Captain Benbow is also possible since the John Benbow Figurehead statue is located at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Climbing up the cliffs is also possible at nearby Solent Cliff. The boat that ran adrift that's sitting on the sandbar, is likely at Hayling Island 15 minutes away. An old boiler, "Hayling Island Boiler" is there from a past shipwreck. Laughing at the waves, until a storm brings ice. This could be the trouble in their relationship. Moving North and South could be the traveling to see each other between Scotland and England? This is just a guess. He screams at the sky and asks why they can't stay together? He seems very upset at this point.