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.
Everytime I see you now it makes me feel so bad
Reminds me of the memories I wish I never had
Standing in a crowded room too dark for me to see
Someone's pushing from behind, just leave me room to breathe
And go away from me, just go away
To another time, another place
To another world, another dream
Go away from me...
Walking down the sidewalk in a crowd that doesn't care
Bumping into shoulders every eye is on the street
There's a man with tattered clothes who's cursing at the air
Everyone is slowing down to catch a little peak
(Repeat Chorus)
Everytime I wake up and I see myself again
Staring in the mirror like a burnt out piece of wood
Searching every feature for a single trace of life
Couldn't find the answer 'cause the mirror never lies
(Repeat Chorus)
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Reminds me of the memories I wish I never had
Standing in a crowded room too dark for me to see
Someone's pushing from behind, just leave me room to breathe
And go away from me, just go away
To another time, another place
To another world, another dream
Go away from me...
Walking down the sidewalk in a crowd that doesn't care
Bumping into shoulders every eye is on the street
There's a man with tattered clothes who's cursing at the air
Everyone is slowing down to catch a little peak
(Repeat Chorus)
Everytime I wake up and I see myself again
Staring in the mirror like a burnt out piece of wood
Searching every feature for a single trace of life
Couldn't find the answer 'cause the mirror never lies
(Repeat Chorus)
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Lyrics submitted by Golgotha
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Not to nitpick, but this song was released on So-Lo, which lists the artist as Danny Elfman, not Oingo Boingo. At the time they were having contract troubles. Anyway, this song has several interpretations. One is best summed up by a quote from Chris Franz of the Talking Heads about their song Heaven: "Rock stars often get overstimulated and sometimes the idea of a place where nothing happens can get pretty appealing." On another level, it's about being in a suffocating relationship and the singer needs some alone time to get himself together. On still another level, this is about how the legal troubles Oingo Boingo was suffering at the time were suffocating Danny and the band.