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.
Each time I make my mother cry
An angel dies and falls from heaven
When the boy is still a worm it's hard to
Learn the number seven
But when they get to you
It's the first thing that they do
Each time I look outside
My mother dies I feel my back is changing shape
When the worm consumes the boy it's never
Considered rape
When they get to you
Prick your finger it is done
The moon has now eclipsed the sun
The angel has spread its wings
The time has come for bitter things
An angel dies and falls from heaven
When the boy is still a worm it's hard to
Learn the number seven
But when they get to you
It's the first thing that they do
Each time I look outside
My mother dies I feel my back is changing shape
When the worm consumes the boy it's never
Considered rape
When they get to you
Prick your finger it is done
The moon has now eclipsed the sun
The angel has spread its wings
The time has come for bitter things
Lyrics submitted by piesupreme, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Cryptorchid Lyrics as written by Esther Dean Brian Warner
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing
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He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
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He certainly did earn that reputation.
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The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
"Each time I make my mother cry an angel dies and falls from heaven"
This is about a young boy that is taught to believe in Christianity. The line refers to the ten commandments, especially the fourth rule (praise your parents and so on).
"when the boy is still a worm it's hard to learn the number seven"
The number 7 is representing the essential human being, since the 4 is the christian symbol for the body and the materialistic things in general while the 3 represents the soul/spirit. The line means that the boy can not develope his own personality when he is the worm (the albums metaphor for a naive person blinded by religion/media/government).
The title of the song strenghtens this interpretation since a Cryptorchid is the professional term for a missing testicle of a newborn boy. This can be interpreted as a missing part of the child, in this case a real personality.
To conclude:
This song is about the society forcing tmyoung children to believe things before they have the ability to create an own independent opinion.
You're welcome ^^
(Btw sorry for possible grammar mistakes, I am from germany :D )
I don't know why but this is my favorite Marilyn Manson song...
This song and Antichrist Superstar are somehow linked i can't quite figure it out but they have some lyrics that are identical notice the...
prick your finger it is done the moon has now eclipsed the sun the angel has spread its wings the time has come for bitter things
I can't put my finger on it though
"when the boy is still a worm it's hard to learn the number seven but when they get to you it's the first thing that they do"
Possibly about how religion is forced upon us by our family, friends, etc. Even though we don't udnerstand what these things mean they try to teach it to us, so we have no choice but to beleive it.
Nobody is born to beleive in god, we are forced to.
I personally wouldn't use the word 'forced' per-say...But generally Christians are conditioned from a young age to fear that which they do not comprehend.
The music video for this song, are some of those scenes taken from Begotten by Elias Merhidge?
Yes. At the time Marilyn was recording AC superstar, he was obsessed with Begotten. He even had Elias Merhidge do his album art.
This song is fucking Great!! It makes you feel something, I can't really say what.. But damn it's good!!
says Muzzy: "Nobody is born to beleive in god, we are forced to."
you couldn't have put it any better.. I can't really follow this up with anything since you hit the nail right on the head.
I think the 7 has to do with 555 being man, 666 being the beast, and 777 being God, and perfection. I doubt that Manson believed this to be true, but used it because it's conventional and recognizable. Also, the 7 fits into the rest of the album. It may also involve the wormboy coming to terms with his role as the antichrist superstar, and what that could mean for him and how people see him.
the coming of age
in christianity the age 7 is viewed as the age of lost innocence. before then you are considered a pure, unspoiled child. at 7 you start growing up and become vulnerable to the evils of the outside world.