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.
It's three miles to the river
That would carry me away
Two miles to the dusty street
That I saw you on today
It's four miles to my lonely room
Where I will hide my face
And about half a mile to the downtown bar
That I ran from in disgrace
Lord how long have I got to keep on running
Seven hours seven days or seven years?
All I know is since you've been gone
I feel like I'm drowning in a river
Drowning in a river of tears
Drowning in a river
Feel like I'm drowning
Drowning in a river
In three more days, I'll leave this town
And disappear without a trace
A year from now, maybe settle down
Where no one knows my face
I wish that I could hold you
One more time to ease the pain
But my time's run out and I got to go
Got to run away again
Still I catch myself thinking
One day I'll find my way back here
You'll save me from drowning
Drowning in a river
Drowning in a river of tears
Drowning in a river
Feels like I'm drowning
Drowning in the river
Oh, how long must this go on?
Drowning in a river
Drowning in a river of tears
That would carry me away
Two miles to the dusty street
That I saw you on today
It's four miles to my lonely room
Where I will hide my face
And about half a mile to the downtown bar
That I ran from in disgrace
Lord how long have I got to keep on running
Seven hours seven days or seven years?
All I know is since you've been gone
I feel like I'm drowning in a river
Drowning in a river of tears
Drowning in a river
Feel like I'm drowning
Drowning in a river
In three more days, I'll leave this town
And disappear without a trace
A year from now, maybe settle down
Where no one knows my face
I wish that I could hold you
One more time to ease the pain
But my time's run out and I got to go
Got to run away again
Still I catch myself thinking
One day I'll find my way back here
You'll save me from drowning
Drowning in a river
Drowning in a river of tears
Drowning in a river
Feels like I'm drowning
Drowning in the river
Oh, how long must this go on?
Drowning in a river
Drowning in a river of tears
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery, edited by HestiaBHN
River of Tears Lyrics as written by Simon Climie Eric Patrick Clapton
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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(It's four miles to my lonely room Where I will hide my face, And about half a mile to the downtown bar That I ran from in disgrace.)
This portion makes me think he had an affair was caught and his wife subsequently left him.
(Lord, how long have I got to keep on running, Seven hours, seven days or seven years? All I know is, since you've been gone I feel like I'm drowning in a river, Drowning in a river of tears. Drowning in a river. Feel like I'm drowning, Drowning in a river.)
This section seems like he is doing all that he can to avoid his feelings.
(I wish that I could hold you One more time to ease the pain, But my time's run out and I got to go, Got to run away again)
This section makes me think he has issues with commitment and is a coward and runs from his relationships By asking for one more embrace it seems that he does love her but just cant stay.
(Still I catch myself thinking, One day I'll find my way back here. You'll save me from drowning, Drowning in a river, Drowning in a river of tears. Drowning in a river. Feels like I'm drowning, Drowning in the river. Lord, how long must this go on?)
I feel he wants to go back to her and she will take him back and some how forgive and make him over come his tendency to run away from relationships. He seems to have a lot of self loathing and doesn't want to be the way he is.