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.
Never thought you'd make me perspire
Never thought I'd do you the same
Never thought I'd fill with desire
Never thought I'd feel so ashamed
Me and the dragon can chase all the pain away
So before I end my day remember
My sweet prince you are the one
My sweet prince
You are the one
Never thought I'd have to retire
Never thought I'd have to abstain
Never thought all this could back fire
Close up the hole in my vain
Me and my valuable friend
Can fix all the pain away
So before I end my day, remember
My sweet prince
You are the one
My sweet prince
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
Never thought I'd get any higher
Never thought you'd fuck with my brain
Never thought all this could expire
Never thought you'd go break the chain
Me and you baby
Still flush all the pain away
So before I end my day, remember
My sweet prince
You are the one
My sweet prince
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
My sweet prince
My sweet prince
Never thought I'd do you the same
Never thought I'd fill with desire
Never thought I'd feel so ashamed
Me and the dragon can chase all the pain away
So before I end my day remember
My sweet prince you are the one
My sweet prince
You are the one
Never thought I'd have to retire
Never thought I'd have to abstain
Never thought all this could back fire
Close up the hole in my vain
Me and my valuable friend
Can fix all the pain away
So before I end my day, remember
My sweet prince
You are the one
My sweet prince
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
Never thought I'd get any higher
Never thought you'd fuck with my brain
Never thought all this could expire
Never thought you'd go break the chain
Me and you baby
Still flush all the pain away
So before I end my day, remember
My sweet prince
You are the one
My sweet prince
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
You are the one
My sweet prince
My sweet prince
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Techno Ted may be a person who caused Chris incredible emotional pain & trepidation as well as moments of peace & happiness but now is removed and awaiting his fate. Darling may be a different person who is also free of him and can live her life free of Ted's tyranny. "In between all the laughing, and daydreams ... lies: a desert of truth" Lies are like a desert or the omission of Truth: Where there were Lies then Truth was absent. The song, "Techno Ted", may be a cathartic celebration of the downfall of this person.
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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.
Cajun Girl
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Clearly this song is about obsession, both the singer’s girlfriend’s obsession with him and their shared obsession with Heroin. (Yes, Dragon is an opiate reference, but for those of you who continue to argue that the song is a not about drugs, I’ve added in the word love for you…. P.S. grow up). The repetition of the phrase “Never thought” at the beginning of each stanza shows how fast and unplanned the addiction comes on, and how many different attitudes the singer takes on throughout the extent of the relationship. At first, the new contact is enthralling, and the singer is both excited and reluctant at the same time. Addiction is evident in the chorus, especially in the line “So before I end my day…remember” in that most drug addicts wake up looking for a fix, and lay down at night wondering when the next score will come. In the second verse, the singer is becoming aware that the addiction has gone too far (“close up the hole in my vein” shows that the singer has tried or is trying to cut off the relationship), and by the third verse, the singer has become moody and angry, both with the substance/lover and with himself for not being strong enough to break it off. The screaming of “You are the one” at the end of the song acknowledges that the singer can no longer live life without the drug/love, and the level of dependency is almost pathetic by the end of the song when the singer is left beckoning “my sweet prince” literally begging for the drug/love.
The music itself is haunting. It’s almost reminiscent of a circus or bazaar music box song, the kind a puppet or a monkey would dance to. This is symbolic because an addict is in a way a puppet to its master, whether you wish to determine that as submission to a lover or dependency on heroin. Either way, even the final fade out of the song sounds like someone is trying to walk in chains….
AMAZING SONG!!!!!