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.
Living on a lighted stage
Approaches the unreal
For those who think and feel
In touch with some reality
Beyond the gilded cage
Cast in this unlikely role
Ill-equipped to act
With insufficient tact
One must put up barriers
To keep oneself intact
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
Living in a fish eye lens
Caught in the camera eye
I have no heart to lie
I can't pretend a stranger
Is a long-awaited friend
All the world's indeed a stage
We are merely players
Performers and portrayers
Each another's audience
Outside the gilded cage
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
The real relation
The underlying theme
Approaches the unreal
For those who think and feel
In touch with some reality
Beyond the gilded cage
Cast in this unlikely role
Ill-equipped to act
With insufficient tact
One must put up barriers
To keep oneself intact
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
Living in a fish eye lens
Caught in the camera eye
I have no heart to lie
I can't pretend a stranger
Is a long-awaited friend
All the world's indeed a stage
We are merely players
Performers and portrayers
Each another's audience
Outside the gilded cage
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme
The real relation
The underlying theme
Lyrics submitted by MasterDuncan03, edited by molson420, Pizzov
Limelight Lyrics as written by Gary Lee Weinrib Neil Elwood Peart
Lyrics © Anthem Entertainment
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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you all have no clue. This song is soooo much deeper than the band dealing with stardom.
It's about life in general and our physical experience on earth. It's about our spiritual beings putting us "beyond the gilded cage", cast into the world as babies only to be conditioned by the world and how hard it is to live out our human lives as such. Now I don't have it all figured out or anything, but interested in how other might see my view, and their comments. I truely believe reality is a far cry from what we think it is.
Thank you for reassuring my faith in humanity hahaha, I would say you are on the right track. From my point of view, this song is definitely about things that are a little more abstract than "getting famous".
There is no doubt in my mind that what you say is true. I concur whole-heartidly. And here is my spin on this. If all the world is a stage then we are also in the limelight. Upon this stage we play our roles. All things good and bad have been played out on this stage. And now in this year of 2012 we see a great drama unfolding. The mother earth, giver of life, protector of us all has taken on this tremendous burden. The majority of people trudging through this life do not stop to "think and feel" this. That is how the children of the world continue to heap the problems of the world upon the world. Flushing down and swollowing all of this despair, loneliness, grief, pain, and suffering. It's like a great veil has been put over humanity. "It approaches the unreal" how we continue to heap the problems of the world upon the world. A great example of this is the US debt and how it has creeped into every country across this planet. So here we are in this unlikely role, ill-equipped to act. But those who do stop to think and feel have put aside the alienation to get on with the fascination. This real relation we have. Which I believe is to say that we are all related. Everyone and everything is intertwined and interdependant upon the other. All around us is this underlying theme. Stop and think, listen to the sounds around you, listen to the quiet, understand the your peaceful nature. Be compassionate and forgive. Set aside differences. If you truly wish to seem and wish to be then you will not even see these differences or at least you can bring yourself to this point. The true underlying theme is that we have unlimited potential power. You are in the limelight. Soon, I believe something will happen to lift this veil that has been put over the world. The truth of it will be revealed. All the hopes and prayers from time immemorial have ascended into the higher consciousness which to this day waits for us.
LOL...you really do sound like Buddha. I just may have to convert:)
Let's do it.
I mean convert. Goodness...pervs.
I don't wish to rub any man's belly nor do I wish to wear a dress. And I don't know who you are.
Oh. Well why didn't you say so sooner? Oh that's right, you did! About 63 times.
What are you talking about...63x. You make no sense
That's what she said.
No, that's 69, not 63...and she'll perform it later tonight. Goodbye.
lol. See? You know. ;) Goodnight to you as well, sillycheeks.
Just maybe it's condemnation of you picking ones who are not proficient in basic math, much less reading any book at a higher reading level than the Dr. Seuss series. OOOOOOH, BURN! (Who's the WO-man! I am.) ...this is the point where bright men remain silent for fear of future attack dealing with an untenable situation;)...oh, please introduce that word to her the next time she's enjoying her math lesson. I'll give you a nickel if she can provide its definition between gum smacks:)