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.
This here is the place where I will be staying
There isn't a number, you can call the pay phone
Let it ring a long, long, long, long time
If I don't pick up, hang up, call back, let it ring some more, oh
If I don't pick up, pick up
The sidewinder sleeps, sleeps, sleeps in a coil
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
There are scratches all around the coin slot
Like a heartbeat, baby trying to wake up
But this machine can only swallow money
You can't lay a patch by computer design
It's just a lot of stupid, stupid signs
Tell her
Tell her she can kiss my ass
Then laugh and say that you were only kidding
That way she'll know that it's really, really, really, really me
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Baby, instant soup doesn't really grab me
Today I need something more sub-sub-sub-substantial
A can of beans or black-eyed peas, some Nescafe and ice
A candy bar, a falling star, or a reading from Doctor Seuss
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
The cat in the hat came back, wreaked a lot of havoc on the way
Always had a smile and a reason to pretend
But their world has flat backgrounds and little need to sleep but to dream
The sidewinder sleeps on his back
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
We've got to boogie, boogie, move on this one
There isn't a number, you can call the pay phone
Let it ring a long, long, long, long time
If I don't pick up, hang up, call back, let it ring some more, oh
If I don't pick up, pick up
The sidewinder sleeps, sleeps, sleeps in a coil
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
There are scratches all around the coin slot
Like a heartbeat, baby trying to wake up
But this machine can only swallow money
You can't lay a patch by computer design
It's just a lot of stupid, stupid signs
Tell her
Tell her she can kiss my ass
Then laugh and say that you were only kidding
That way she'll know that it's really, really, really, really me
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Baby, instant soup doesn't really grab me
Today I need something more sub-sub-sub-substantial
A can of beans or black-eyed peas, some Nescafe and ice
A candy bar, a falling star, or a reading from Doctor Seuss
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
The cat in the hat came back, wreaked a lot of havoc on the way
Always had a smile and a reason to pretend
But their world has flat backgrounds and little need to sleep but to dream
The sidewinder sleeps on his back
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
We've got to boogie, boogie, move on this one
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i think it's pretty simple...this girl is giving him the cold soldier and he wants to call her...but whereever he is, the phone is eating his money...so, he's gotta get his friend to call him and put her on the phone...when he says he can always sleep standing up he's saying he can sleep in the phone booth and wait for the call...
of all the interpretations yours is most plausible and supported by the lyrics
@ZinbobDan - cold soldier? You mean cold shoulder?