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.
Lets pretend were not needy
Lets pretend our hearts still beat
Lets pretend we fall in love tonight
Clumsy enough to fall for anything
Well stumble on our words
Well spill our guts on creaking bar stools
Below the neon blue
Low lives hiding in dives there's no feeling in drinking sleeping with strangers
Ghosts passing through bedrooms unaware
A faint reflection on the barbacks mirror
A face I never knew whispering,
Please don't be a stranger to me. who are you if you're alone'
You're no good at pretending
All my plays have tragic endings
You wish I was a fairy tale
This frog will never change anything
Just pretend that you're in love
That scolding sun is bound to come up eventually
So who is it that whispers in your ear
A haunting voice blows in through the window
There's no feeling floating over beds
A needy pleading apparition
Crying 'who am I if I'm alone?
I hardly exist at all.
Lets pretend that we don't need anything anymore from anyone.
I don't want to feel anything anymore lets just pretend'
Well live happily ever after
Lets pretend our hearts still beat
Lets pretend we fall in love tonight
Clumsy enough to fall for anything
Well stumble on our words
Well spill our guts on creaking bar stools
Below the neon blue
Low lives hiding in dives there's no feeling in drinking sleeping with strangers
Ghosts passing through bedrooms unaware
A faint reflection on the barbacks mirror
A face I never knew whispering,
Please don't be a stranger to me. who are you if you're alone'
You're no good at pretending
All my plays have tragic endings
You wish I was a fairy tale
This frog will never change anything
Just pretend that you're in love
That scolding sun is bound to come up eventually
So who is it that whispers in your ear
A haunting voice blows in through the window
There's no feeling floating over beds
A needy pleading apparition
Crying 'who am I if I'm alone?
I hardly exist at all.
Lets pretend that we don't need anything anymore from anyone.
I don't want to feel anything anymore lets just pretend'
Well live happily ever after
Lyrics submitted by toyarmy, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Fairytales Tell Tales Lyrics as written by Gretta Mindy Cohn Clint Frederick Schnase
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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oh its beautiful. i just needed to say it.