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.
The building turned it's back
Ignored my call
The concrete looks too thin to break my fall
The sunset stretched across this night time scene
I counted people as I neared the street below, whoa, below, whoa
I saw it all, I saw it all go down
The shadow grew as he approached the ground
The sunset stretched across this night time scene
I turned away as he came near the street, below, whoa, below, whoa, below
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Ignored my call
The concrete looks too thin to break my fall
The sunset stretched across this night time scene
I counted people as I neared the street below, whoa, below, whoa
I saw it all, I saw it all go down
The shadow grew as he approached the ground
The sunset stretched across this night time scene
I turned away as he came near the street, below, whoa, below, whoa, below
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
Let's forget this all, move on
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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.
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Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
Techno Ted
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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.
I just bought the cd but i DLed the song a few days ago. Anyways i think it IS about the WTC jumpers. [the building turned it's back ignored my call the concrete looks too thin to break my fall the sunset stretched across this night time scene I counted people as I neared the street below, whoa, below, whoa ] First, this about a person up there, the building is burning behind them, The concrete is so far away it looks like it cant break their fall. They counted the people below them as they jumped. [I saw it all, I saw it all go down the shadow grew as he aproached the ground the sunset stretched across this night time scene I turned away as he came near the street, below, whoa, below, whoa, below] This part is from the point of the people below, they see the person's shadow as they near the ground. The people turned away as he came falling to the street below.
The sunset parts i cant make set of but still....
Damnit i cant find it anywhere!
if u got aol i'll send it to you, KHAoTiX@aol.com
you can get this song at boxcarracer.org. or you can just buy the cd today...
yea, exactly what i was thinking
i think this songs lyrics themselves are great but the song is kinda lame (not against this band though)
I don't think it is necessarily about someone jumping from the World Trade Center as they fell. I think it may just be about any random person jumping from any tall building. I always saw it as a song about a guy who was committing suicide by jumping off a building (Tom's verse), and a witness's view of the event (Mark's verse).
I agree at first I thought it was about the WTC incident, I still do, but I can see how it could be about any dude jumping off of a building, like bob nofx said someone committing suicide, I can see why he would say that. But I think it's about the WTC jumpers.
The first time I heard it, it just gave me a picture of someone jumping off a building. Then someone being a witness watching. Of course it was night, and the sun was just going down(duuh). Meh, pretty basic. But I still like it. Made me think. =o.O=
although the lyrics in this song are very basic... let's face it. most of tom delonges lyrics aren't too complicated. but i see something really powerful in this song. i just love it. the lyrics aren't too obvious, but obvoius enough to let you know that they are about the WTC jumpers. i just love this song.