The above lyrics are completely incorrect. What follows below may not be 100% correct, but it is much closer (the two lines about which I have doubt are marked with (?)). The overarching story is about the repentant thief who died on the cross next to Jesus. It is also a reflection on mortality, with the hangman representing Time/God/Fate/Whatever and the Thief representing mankind as a whole as well as each individual man. For further and deeper interpretation also consider that the Thief is the seven of swords in tarot.
The Thief, by CAN
"Why must I be the thief?
Why must I be the thief?
Oh lord please wont you tell me,
why must I be the thief?"
"
Why must I be the thief?",
he said to the hanging man.
"And how come you're the only one
whose dagger, uh, that always stabs?"(?)
"Why must I be the thief?",
he asked of the hanging man.
"And how come youre the only one
who lives with an open hand?"
"Yea why I must I be the thief?",
he cursed his faded crown.
And the hanging man put out his hand
and looked beyond his heart.(?)
Oh the thief he climbed that cross,
to share that others fate
But the Jesus man said "Not now,
my brother not now,
Its far too late
Its far too late
Its far too late
Its far too late
Its far too late
Its far too late
Its far too late
Its far too late."
"Do what you must.
Take what you can
Steal the pride from every heart
of every angry man.
Every angry man.
Every angry man."
"I am the thief.
I am the thief.
And you may run, yes
and you may hide,
but I will get you yet.
Yes I will, Cause I will
Cause its just your pride.
Just your pride.
Pride, pride
Pride, pride
Pride, pride
Pride, pride."
"I will get you yet,
cause its justified.
I will get you yet,
its just your pride.
I will get you yet,
its justified."
@juicebone The lyrics are correct. They're not written from the lens of the penitent thief but the impenitent thief. It's an indictment of the cynicism of Jesus and God and mankind in general. A compassionate look at what motivates the impenitent thief and what motivates Jesus, when they're both hanging there on their crosses.
@juicebone The lyrics are correct. They're not written from the lens of the penitent thief but the impenitent thief. It's an indictment of the cynicism of Jesus and God and mankind in general. A compassionate look at what motivates the impenitent thief and what motivates Jesus, when they're both hanging there on their crosses.
First verse:
The thief, hanging on his cross, asks "the hanging man" (aka Jesus) why he/his God made him a thief? How come Jesus is the only one "who's like a rock, that always stands"? Why did God make the thief a thief? Why did God make...
First verse:
The thief, hanging on his cross, asks "the hanging man" (aka Jesus) why he/his God made him a thief? How come Jesus is the only one "who's like a rock, that always stands"? Why did God make the thief a thief? Why did God make him so weak? Why was his life so unfair? Why was he given this life, and ultimately, this brutal death?
Second verse:
He asks again, "Why must I be the thief?" How come Jesus is the only one who can live with an open hand? He curses and he cries. And Jesus "put out his hand" (as if to stop/push him away) and "looked beyond his eye" (gave him a thousand yard stare).
Third verse:
The thief climbed that cross. Shared Jesus' fate, supposedly through God's will. In the Bible he is depicted as taunting, but what he's asking is: "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" It's a desperate plea. The pleas of a dying man with a rough life, an unfair life. And Jesus basically ignores him and says, "Not now, it's too late for you. Far too late."
Fourth verse:
The thief's desperation turns to rage and resentment. He sees that Jesus doesn't care about him, that he only wants obedience, that he doesn't see his pain and suffering. He's impenitent and he lashes out like an injured, petulant child; a child that has been abandoned by God all his life and knows that nothing matters because nobody, not even Jesus, cares about him and his suffering: "Do what you must! Take what you can! Steal the pride from every heart! Every angry man!"
Fifth:
The thief continues: "I am the thief. And you may run, yes, and you may hide. But I'll get you yet. Yes I will. Cos you're... cos it's just your pride. Just your pride." He's saying: "I am a person. You're judging me as I'm dying next to the cross to you, per your father's wishes. You don't see me. You don't hear me. You condemn me to death and eternal hell. And for what? Because you don't find me obedient? It's just your pride, you're prideful. A prideful sociopath, like all the other sociopaths I've encountered in my miserable life. You don't even know what I've been through. You don't understand what it's like to be weak, to be me, to be a thief. Is this who you think I am? Ok then, this is who I am. I am the thief. Take what you can. It's all a lie."
Sixth:
"I will get you yet! Cos it's justified! I will get you yet! It's justified!" Jesus doesn't see him. Jesus doesn't hear him. Jesus can't muster normal human compassion as the thief is dying on the cross next to him and pleading with him. The thief's rage is justified. He's been abandoned by God and the son of God. All he essentially asked was: "Save me, please, save me... aren't you the son of God..? Please save yourself and us..." But Jesus didn't like his tone. Didn't like him. But God made him. Made him who he was. God gave him the life that forced him steal. God put him on that cross. God made him the thief. Why should he ask God for forgiveness? It's God who should ask him for forgiveness.
The above lyrics are completely incorrect. What follows below may not be 100% correct, but it is much closer (the two lines about which I have doubt are marked with (?)). The overarching story is about the repentant thief who died on the cross next to Jesus. It is also a reflection on mortality, with the hangman representing Time/God/Fate/Whatever and the Thief representing mankind as a whole as well as each individual man. For further and deeper interpretation also consider that the Thief is the seven of swords in tarot.
The Thief, by CAN
"Why must I be the thief? Why must I be the thief? Oh lord please wont you tell me, why must I be the thief?" " Why must I be the thief?", he said to the hanging man. "And how come you're the only one whose dagger, uh, that always stabs?"(?)
"Why must I be the thief?", he asked of the hanging man. "And how come youre the only one who lives with an open hand?"
"Yea why I must I be the thief?", he cursed his faded crown. And the hanging man put out his hand and looked beyond his heart.(?)
Oh the thief he climbed that cross, to share that others fate But the Jesus man said "Not now, my brother not now, Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late."
"Do what you must. Take what you can Steal the pride from every heart of every angry man. Every angry man. Every angry man."
"I am the thief. I am the thief. And you may run, yes and you may hide, but I will get you yet. Yes I will, Cause I will Cause its just your pride. Just your pride. Pride, pride Pride, pride Pride, pride Pride, pride."
"I will get you yet, cause its justified. I will get you yet, its just your pride. I will get you yet, its justified."
Replace
Replace
Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late."
Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late Its far too late."
with
with
Its far too late far too late far too late far too late far too late far too late far too late far too late."
Its far too late far too late far too late far too late far too late far too late far too late far too late."
@juicebone The lyrics are correct. They're not written from the lens of the penitent thief but the impenitent thief. It's an indictment of the cynicism of Jesus and God and mankind in general. A compassionate look at what motivates the impenitent thief and what motivates Jesus, when they're both hanging there on their crosses.
@juicebone The lyrics are correct. They're not written from the lens of the penitent thief but the impenitent thief. It's an indictment of the cynicism of Jesus and God and mankind in general. A compassionate look at what motivates the impenitent thief and what motivates Jesus, when they're both hanging there on their crosses.
First verse: The thief, hanging on his cross, asks "the hanging man" (aka Jesus) why he/his God made him a thief? How come Jesus is the only one "who's like a rock, that always stands"? Why did God make the thief a thief? Why did God make...
First verse: The thief, hanging on his cross, asks "the hanging man" (aka Jesus) why he/his God made him a thief? How come Jesus is the only one "who's like a rock, that always stands"? Why did God make the thief a thief? Why did God make him so weak? Why was his life so unfair? Why was he given this life, and ultimately, this brutal death?
Second verse:
He asks again, "Why must I be the thief?" How come Jesus is the only one who can live with an open hand? He curses and he cries. And Jesus "put out his hand" (as if to stop/push him away) and "looked beyond his eye" (gave him a thousand yard stare).
Third verse: The thief climbed that cross. Shared Jesus' fate, supposedly through God's will. In the Bible he is depicted as taunting, but what he's asking is: "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" It's a desperate plea. The pleas of a dying man with a rough life, an unfair life. And Jesus basically ignores him and says, "Not now, it's too late for you. Far too late."
Fourth verse: The thief's desperation turns to rage and resentment. He sees that Jesus doesn't care about him, that he only wants obedience, that he doesn't see his pain and suffering. He's impenitent and he lashes out like an injured, petulant child; a child that has been abandoned by God all his life and knows that nothing matters because nobody, not even Jesus, cares about him and his suffering: "Do what you must! Take what you can! Steal the pride from every heart! Every angry man!"
Fifth: The thief continues: "I am the thief. And you may run, yes, and you may hide. But I'll get you yet. Yes I will. Cos you're... cos it's just your pride. Just your pride." He's saying: "I am a person. You're judging me as I'm dying next to the cross to you, per your father's wishes. You don't see me. You don't hear me. You condemn me to death and eternal hell. And for what? Because you don't find me obedient? It's just your pride, you're prideful. A prideful sociopath, like all the other sociopaths I've encountered in my miserable life. You don't even know what I've been through. You don't understand what it's like to be weak, to be me, to be a thief. Is this who you think I am? Ok then, this is who I am. I am the thief. Take what you can. It's all a lie."
Sixth: "I will get you yet! Cos it's justified! I will get you yet! It's justified!" Jesus doesn't see him. Jesus doesn't hear him. Jesus can't muster normal human compassion as the thief is dying on the cross next to him and pleading with him. The thief's rage is justified. He's been abandoned by God and the son of God. All he essentially asked was: "Save me, please, save me... aren't you the son of God..? Please save yourself and us..." But Jesus didn't like his tone. Didn't like him. But God made him. Made him who he was. God gave him the life that forced him steal. God put him on that cross. God made him the thief. Why should he ask God for forgiveness? It's God who should ask him for forgiveness.