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.
Lost the confidence to write a song,
So I found three simple chords
And held them together with my weak voice
On an out of tune guitar
My father gave to me.
And may Elvis turn in his grave
And Les Paul kiss my dirty, calloused fingers
And may the likes of this song never make
One fucking dollar,
leave it for a demo tape
To be played until it's broken,
Then remembered only for what it was.
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
To my friends and enemies who could have been anything,
Titans and heroes who found sruvival in cause and effect.
Behind counters,
Behind windows,
Striving just
To be people
With bitter ideals of justice.
Do we only need to keep working because it pays rent?
Sleeping under plastic stars glued to ceiling,
Muscles burning alcohol and nicotine
Every morning.
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
There's a height beyond skyscrapers,
There's a distance beyond the freeway,
More than pictures in a magazine,
More than tragedy in a rock and roll song.
It's more than actions you know are safe to make.
It's more than money could ever buy.
Are we living to work and die in American cities?
And workin to live and die in American cities?
And dying for what we worked!
So I found three simple chords
And held them together with my weak voice
On an out of tune guitar
My father gave to me.
And may Elvis turn in his grave
And Les Paul kiss my dirty, calloused fingers
And may the likes of this song never make
One fucking dollar,
leave it for a demo tape
To be played until it's broken,
Then remembered only for what it was.
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
To my friends and enemies who could have been anything,
Titans and heroes who found sruvival in cause and effect.
Behind counters,
Behind windows,
Striving just
To be people
With bitter ideals of justice.
Do we only need to keep working because it pays rent?
Sleeping under plastic stars glued to ceiling,
Muscles burning alcohol and nicotine
Every morning.
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
There's a height beyond skyscrapers,
There's a distance beyond the freeway,
More than pictures in a magazine,
More than tragedy in a rock and roll song.
It's more than actions you know are safe to make.
It's more than money could ever buy.
Are we living to work and die in American cities?
And workin to live and die in American cities?
And dying for what we worked!
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This, like so many songs by against me is a rallying call to make more of an impact in this world than working to live and die. I've also been told that it's an explanation for why the band doesn't play covers.