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.
Oh oh yeah
Darlene, oh Darlene, oh Darlene,
Oh oh yeah Darlene, oh oh Darlene, oh oh Darlene
Oh come on baby give me some
When I see you at that dance with your tight dress on
Whatcha got it sure is fine
I want to get me some
Darlene, woo baby baby Darlene, oh be my baby Darlene,
Oh, come on baby be my baby
Come on, come on come oh
Darlene, oh, Darlene, hey hey Darlene, oh oh
Come back and be my sweet little girl
When I see you on the street, it makes my heart go flitter
I see you walkin' with all those guys
It makes me feel so sick
And I don't care what people say
And I don't care what they do
Sweet child I gotta make you mine
You're the only thing that I want: You!
Baby baby when you walk down the block,
See the people behind (?)
Woh child oh ya drive me wild
I gotta do it really gonna try
Oh baby, I got my car
I'll take you as far
I'm gonna take you every place
I'm gonna boogie-woogie-woogie-woogie that's fine
I'm gonna prove it, Darlene
I'm gonna make ya my girl
I'm gonna boogie, Darlene
I'm gonna send ya in another world
'Cause I love Darlene, I gotta love 'er,
Yes I do
I've been savin' all my money I've been workin' all day long
I gotta give it all back to you
Oh but I love Darlene?
'Cause I love, yes I do ?
I've been workin' to, I've been workin' everyday
I've been tryin' to get a hold of you
And I love you Darlene
Yes I love you I do
?
I've been saving all for you
Oh I love ya
Darlene, oh Darlene, oh Darlene,
Oh oh yeah Darlene, oh oh Darlene, oh oh Darlene
Oh come on baby give me some
When I see you at that dance with your tight dress on
Whatcha got it sure is fine
I want to get me some
Darlene, woo baby baby Darlene, oh be my baby Darlene,
Oh, come on baby be my baby
Come on, come on come oh
Darlene, oh, Darlene, hey hey Darlene, oh oh
Come back and be my sweet little girl
When I see you on the street, it makes my heart go flitter
I see you walkin' with all those guys
It makes me feel so sick
And I don't care what people say
And I don't care what they do
Sweet child I gotta make you mine
You're the only thing that I want: You!
Baby baby when you walk down the block,
See the people behind (?)
Woh child oh ya drive me wild
I gotta do it really gonna try
Oh baby, I got my car
I'll take you as far
I'm gonna take you every place
I'm gonna boogie-woogie-woogie-woogie that's fine
I'm gonna prove it, Darlene
I'm gonna make ya my girl
I'm gonna boogie, Darlene
I'm gonna send ya in another world
'Cause I love Darlene, I gotta love 'er,
Yes I do
I've been savin' all my money I've been workin' all day long
I gotta give it all back to you
Oh but I love Darlene?
'Cause I love, yes I do ?
I've been workin' to, I've been workin' everyday
I've been tryin' to get a hold of you
And I love you Darlene
Yes I love you I do
?
I've been saving all for you
Oh I love ya
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Gadjits, The
Gadjits, The
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.
The Spy
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Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
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Word Alive, The
Word Alive, The
This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Err - my copy of Darlene contains the phrase "Got a pink carnation and a pickup track" I seem to remember that this phrase was also in Don Mclean's American Pie(?) Any idea what this phrase means (other than a guy with a van and a flower :)
rateitall.com/i-95176-with-a-pink-carnation-and-a-pickup-truck.aspx Hope that helps a year and a half later (:
Crap, it got cut-off. Oh well, just go to that site if you want to know. It said the pink carnation was a reference to the 50s song "White Sport Coat", and that the whole line was referring to the style and music of the 50s.
ha ha..i just noticed that line while listening to it, so i thought i'd come to check it out. interesting stuff, thanks jumpy jack.
i love this album.
Zeppelin is a great band, but this has got to be one of their worst songs. It doesn't have nearly the feeling as most of their songs do, and the lyrics are pretty weak as well. I wonder how long it took to write this song.
Agreed, DAS JETS. I also consider this to be one of Zeppelin's worst songs, though I still enjoy it. The lyrics fall so incredibly short for Zeppelin, and for the longest time I couldn't even tell Plant was saying "Darlene."
But then, it is basically a reject song, after all.
Ok, Excalibur2 I hate you. Darlene is one of my very favorite song by Zeppelin. You clearly do not know what you are talking about.
i love this fuckin song prob the best on coda of original stuff i love how robert pronounces darlene sounds like "dow-a-lean" but its of course darlene and a great great song its a shame not many have heard it ONLY 8 COMMENTS ARE YOU KIDDING ME!! ...LONG LIVE THE MIGHTY ZEPPELIN!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL Gettheledoutstyle, I always thought it sounded like "double-lean". Good song, but it took me a while to appreciate. <br />
This is a 50s rockabilly type tune done by Zeppelin.
"Pink carnation and a pickup truck" are 50s representations that Don McLean also referenced in American Pie.