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.
(Wait wait wait do the whole thing)
Now come on baby do the twist (2x)
Shake it around
It goes like this
Now come on baby do the twist (2x)
Shake it around
Mr. Whirly
Please don't call me
I've been drinkin' alone
Whirly
Please don't follow me home
Mr. Whirly
Please don't call me
I've been waitin' at the CC
Whirly
Surely you know by now
Come on, Whirly
Whoooo
Go on baby
You're cool
Shake it around
One, two, three strikes
And you are
I said you're the...
Now come on baby do the twist (2x)
Shake it around
It goes like this
Now come on baby do the twist (2x)
Shake it around
Mr. Whirly
Please don't call me
I've been drinkin' alone
Whirly
Please don't follow me home
Mr. Whirly
Please don't call me
I've been waitin' at the CC
Whirly
Surely you know by now
Come on, Whirly
Whoooo
Go on baby
You're cool
Shake it around
One, two, three strikes
And you are
I said you're the...
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Remember that episode of the Simpsons when Barney drinks the funky juice manufactured by the hippies, starts hallucinating, then drinks a beer and Pinky, his imaginary friend elephant, appears to kill off the other animal in the aforementioned hallucination? Well, if you do, you might have an inkling of what Mr. Whirly is about. Mr. Whirly is an imaginary drunken buddy of Paul Westerberg. The song itself chronicles a night of drunken debauchery in the life of Mr. Westerberg. The humdrum 'Strawberry Fields' riff that begins the song is indicative of Paul's mindset as he wanders into his favorite watering hole. As the night progresses, Paul becomes drunker, and kicks into party mode, as indicated by the shift to 'The Twist.' Then, as he reaches drunken bliss, his imaginary friend Mr. Whirly appears in the more relaxed 'Oh My Darling' section. He wants Mr. Whirly to be there, but he feels like he's too drunk at this point in time and feels like he will only be a disappointment in his company. He insists that he's alright, that Whirly doesn't have to 'follow [him] home,' but clearly Paul is drunk to the point of seeing his imaginary friend that only appears in this intoxicated state.