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.
Way back when
In Sixty-seven
I was the dandy
Of Gamma Chi
Sweet things from Boston
So young and willing
Moved down to Scarsdale
Where the hell am I
Hey Nineteen
No we can't dance together
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down
Hey Nineteen
That's 'Retha Franklin
She don't remember
The Queen of Soul
It's hard times befallen
The sole survivors
She thinks I'm crazy
But I'm just growing old
Hey Nineteen
No we got nothing in common
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down
The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing
No we can't dance together
No we can't talk at all
In Sixty-seven
I was the dandy
Of Gamma Chi
Sweet things from Boston
So young and willing
Moved down to Scarsdale
Where the hell am I
Hey Nineteen
No we can't dance together
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down
Hey Nineteen
That's 'Retha Franklin
She don't remember
The Queen of Soul
It's hard times befallen
The sole survivors
She thinks I'm crazy
But I'm just growing old
Hey Nineteen
No we got nothing in common
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down
The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing
No we can't dance together
No we can't talk at all
Lyrics submitted by AbFab, edited by jackmiller, AndyVon, Kargan
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The 'Colombian' they refer to in the song was actually about marijuana, not cocaine, as popularly believed. Back in the 60's/70's most cocaine still came from Peru, while a whole hell of a lot of marijuana came from Colombia. It wasn't until the mid 80's that Colombia became known for it's cocaine, at least in the United States.