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.
One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you, don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall
And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call
He called Alice, when she was just small
When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom, and your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice, I think she'll know
When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's off with her head
Remember what the Dormouse said
Feed your head, feed your head
And the ones that mother gives you, don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall
And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call
He called Alice, when she was just small
When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom, and your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice, I think she'll know
When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's off with her head
Remember what the Dormouse said
Feed your head, feed your head
Lyrics submitted by kevin, edited by ILoveMyCat
White Rabbit Lyrics as written by Grace Wing Slick
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Clearly the song is about drug use in correlation with the Alice in Wonderland story, but no has mentioned a deeper meaning that goes along with the song as well...This song is also an anti-war song, (Vietnam). As were many songs during this era. They don't explicitly say this, but you can definitely draw parallels:
"And if you go chasing rabbits And you know you're going to fall," (War)
"Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar Has given you the call." (President/draft)
"When the men on the chessboard Get up and tell you where to go" (Government)
"When logic and proportion Have fallen sloppy dead," (Lost cause, failure of Vietnam)
Clearly yes, it is a hallucination about drug use and a commentary on such, but I do think there is a deeper meaning in these lyrics...Jefferson Airplane were very anti-war so I can see this song as being a metaphor for the war as well...The white knight, and the red queen, perhaps countries...hmm interesting trippy song this classic is :)