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.
Darling stop confusing me
With your wishful thinking
Hopeful embraces
Don't you understand?
I have to go through this
I belong to here where
No-one cares and no-one loves
No light no air to live in
A place called hate
The city of fear
I play dead
It stops the hurting
I play dead
And hurting stops
It's sometimes just like sleeping
Curling up inside my private tortures
I nestle into pain
Hug suffering
Caress every ache
I play dead
It stops the hurting
With your wishful thinking
Hopeful embraces
Don't you understand?
I have to go through this
I belong to here where
No-one cares and no-one loves
No light no air to live in
A place called hate
The city of fear
I play dead
It stops the hurting
I play dead
And hurting stops
It's sometimes just like sleeping
Curling up inside my private tortures
I nestle into pain
Hug suffering
Caress every ache
I play dead
It stops the hurting
Lyrics submitted by AgathaKavka
Play Dead Lyrics as written by Jah Wobble David George Arnold
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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i think this song talks about.. how shes pushing people away.. how she doesnt wants their company.. and the whole deal with it..is that.. u push away..what u dont wanna hurt..probably the things u care the most..and before they leave u..u just leave them 1st..as in for u not to get hurt by them.. when she says she plays dead..its when she plays the whole i dont care card..the thing is..she cares too much.. humanly possibly..shes scared of the hurting..of the pain..yet she embraces it..cuz it makes the whole process easier..on her.. its a real contradiction cuz when bjork wrote this one..she wasnt goin through any disturbing phase..actually she was happy ..but..she needed to do a song..that would put the tag to the character of the movie ..