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.
Every time that I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone
It went by like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way?
Everybody's got the dues in life to pay, yeah
I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybody's sin
You've got to lose to know how to win
Half my life's in books' written pages
Live and learn from fools and from sages
You know it's true, oh
All the things come back to you
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
Yeah, sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until the dream come true
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until your dream come true
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, oh
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone
It went by like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way?
Everybody's got the dues in life to pay, yeah
I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybody's sin
You've got to lose to know how to win
Half my life's in books' written pages
Live and learn from fools and from sages
You know it's true, oh
All the things come back to you
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
Yeah, sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until the dream come true
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until your dream come true
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, oh
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, if it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away
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Well... First of all, I'll say that I heard the Eminem cover before the original song (weird to some) and, I dare say I'm not an Eminem fan (quite on the contrary), but the 'chorus' tune caught me right then. And only now, when listening to a newly downloaded playlist 'Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time', I've heard this so familiar tune and I said to myself "shit! that was not eminem song at all! It's Aerosmith!!!" And again... the song got me so deep... As for me, it's always great when I discover for myself some new song like this (old/modern - whatever!)... I'm eager to listen to it for hours!
As for its meaning, I can say that every song which is worth listening and which meaning is worth discussing so much had been written on the basis of a writer's personal experience... Be that his personal life, his attitude towards something or just his speculations. Once, a friend of mine said to me: "dude, to write and compose a song in such an emotionally deep manner you must go through such a situation yourself..." And this is exactly one of those songs... Of course the author went through a hard time in his life. Otherwise, the song wouldn't have been so great. Particularly, I think the song is about never abandoning what a person dreams about. Whatever happens dream on. And of course, according to the chorus it is clear - live for the day. Do everything in time. Never postpone for tomorrow what you can do today. Don't be lazy to do what you really want. Because tomorrow may not come. You can lose the right moment... And be sorry for that for all your life. It's better be sorry for what you have done than to be sorry for what you haven't... I think I made myself clear. Thank you :) (screaming: DREAM ON!!!)