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.
I watched you fall
I think I pushed
Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe diminished
Maybe I'm innocent
Maybe I'm finished
Maybe I blacked out
How do I play this?
I will give my best today
I will give myself away
I have never hurt anything
Is the jury wavering?
Do they know I sing?
Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe diminished
How do I
How do I play this?
Jealous lover, self defense
Protective brother, chemical
Dependence
I'll consult the i-ching
I'll consult the TV
Ouija, oblique strategies
I'll consult the law books for
Precedents
Can I charm the jury?
I will give my best today
I will give myself away
I have never hurt anything
Is the justice wavering?
Does she know I sing
That song?
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
I watched you fall
I think I pushed
Maybe they'll see me
Maybe they'll say
"I can see the truth in his statement
Smallpox blanket? No way."
Can I charm the jury, my defense?
Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe diminished
Maybe I loved you
Baby, I loved you
Baby, I loved you
Baby, I loved you
Baby, I'm finished
I will give my best today
I will give myself away
I have never hurt anything
Is the justice wavering?
Does she know I sing
That song?
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
I have given myself away
I have given my best today
I have never hurt anything
Is the justice wavering?
Does she know I loved you?
Does she know I loved you?
Does she know I sing?
I feel great, I lied to save your feelings
Truth convened, my head smashed through the ceiling
I lost an arm, no one harmed, you
Diplomatically alarmed
I sulked away to lick my thin skin
And I'm not over you
I'm not over you
I'm not over you
I think I pushed
Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe diminished
Maybe I'm innocent
Maybe I'm finished
Maybe I blacked out
How do I play this?
I will give my best today
I will give myself away
I have never hurt anything
Is the jury wavering?
Do they know I sing?
Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe diminished
How do I
How do I play this?
Jealous lover, self defense
Protective brother, chemical
Dependence
I'll consult the i-ching
I'll consult the TV
Ouija, oblique strategies
I'll consult the law books for
Precedents
Can I charm the jury?
I will give my best today
I will give myself away
I have never hurt anything
Is the justice wavering?
Does she know I sing
That song?
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
I watched you fall
I think I pushed
Maybe they'll see me
Maybe they'll say
"I can see the truth in his statement
Smallpox blanket? No way."
Can I charm the jury, my defense?
Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe diminished
Maybe I loved you
Baby, I loved you
Baby, I loved you
Baby, I loved you
Baby, I'm finished
I will give my best today
I will give myself away
I have never hurt anything
Is the justice wavering?
Does she know I sing
That song?
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
Sing along (I will never hurt anything)
I have given myself away
I have given my best today
I have never hurt anything
Is the justice wavering?
Does she know I loved you?
Does she know I loved you?
Does she know I sing?
I feel great, I lied to save your feelings
Truth convened, my head smashed through the ceiling
I lost an arm, no one harmed, you
Diplomatically alarmed
I sulked away to lick my thin skin
And I'm not over you
I'm not over you
I'm not over you
Lyrics submitted by xpankfrisst
Diminished Lyrics as written by Michael Mills Peter Buck
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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So I made a reply to the_associate but didn't realize it would be hidden by default. Synopsis is, this is obviously a metaphor for a situation in which a loved one is so easily hurt that the only way to acknowledge their feelings is to put yourself on trial and convict yourself and plead guilty for crimes you've never committed... (possibly a borderline personality disorder thing.)
Another piece of evidence for that is the fact that "I'm Not Over You" is appended to this track.
"I feel great I lied to save your feelings Truth convened, my head smashed through the ceiling I lost an arm, no one harmed, you diplomatically alarmed."
Which is a pretty good conclusion to this song and puts it in perspective, I think.