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.
I break down in the middle and lose my thread
No one can understand a word that I say
When I break down just a little and lose my head
Nothing I try to do can work the same way
Any time it happens I'd get over it
With a little help from all my friends
Anybody else could see what's wrong with me
But they walk away and just pretend
When I break down
I break down in the middle and lose my thread
No one can understand a word that I say
When I break down just a little and lose my head
Nothing I try to do can work the same way
Where are all the friends who used to talk to me
All they ever told me was good news
People that I've never seen are kind to me
Is it any wonder I'm confused
When I break down
When I break down
Freedom, freedom, we will not obey
Freedom, freedom, take the wall away
Freedom, freedom, we will not obey
Freedom, freedom, take them all away
Where are all of my friends
My so called friends
Take the wall away
Take them all away
Will somebody here me?
No one can understand a word that I say
When I break down just a little and lose my head
Nothing I try to do can work the same way
Any time it happens I'd get over it
With a little help from all my friends
Anybody else could see what's wrong with me
But they walk away and just pretend
When I break down
I break down in the middle and lose my thread
No one can understand a word that I say
When I break down just a little and lose my head
Nothing I try to do can work the same way
Where are all the friends who used to talk to me
All they ever told me was good news
People that I've never seen are kind to me
Is it any wonder I'm confused
When I break down
When I break down
Freedom, freedom, we will not obey
Freedom, freedom, take the wall away
Freedom, freedom, we will not obey
Freedom, freedom, take them all away
Where are all of my friends
My so called friends
Take the wall away
Take them all away
Will somebody here me?
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I break down - has a double meaning for humans and machines. When a robot breaks down, it needs to depend on its human masters to repair them. When artificial intelligence is created and robots can mend each other and have forward thinking - and become dependent and don't need to rely on their human masters - the end is all to conceivable.