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.
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in
Tied to a wheel fingers got to feel
Bleeding through a tourniquet smile
I spin on a whim, I slide to the right
I felt you like electric light
For our love, for our fear
For our rise against the years and years and years
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red machine head
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red
I walk from my machine
I walk from my machine
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in
Deaf dumb, dirty
Starting to deserve this
Leaning on my conscience wall
Blood is like wine
Unconscious all the time
If I had it all again
I'd change it all
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red machine head
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red
I walk from my machine
I walk from my machine
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in, breathe in, breathe in
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red machine head
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red
Better than the rest, better than the rest
Machine head
I walk from my machine
I walk from my machine
Breathe in
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in
Tied to a wheel fingers got to feel
Bleeding through a tourniquet smile
I spin on a whim, I slide to the right
I felt you like electric light
For our love, for our fear
For our rise against the years and years and years
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red machine head
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red
I walk from my machine
I walk from my machine
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in
Deaf dumb, dirty
Starting to deserve this
Leaning on my conscience wall
Blood is like wine
Unconscious all the time
If I had it all again
I'd change it all
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red machine head
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red
I walk from my machine
I walk from my machine
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out
Breathe in, breathe in, breathe in
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red machine head
Got a machine head, it's better than the rest
Green to red
Better than the rest, better than the rest
Machine head
I walk from my machine
I walk from my machine
Lyrics submitted by lilsweetness77, edited by Kyosanshugi, kt808
Machinehead Lyrics as written by Gavin Rossdale
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I would guess he’s referring to himself as a machine and this song is about breaking away from his ego, pride, or something along those lines. \n\nOn another note it may have been written with absolutely no meaning, leaving us to attempt at guessing. I’ve actually done that in my own lyrics. Wrote a song called I Gotta Go once and thought it would represent me talking to myself about getting away from my evil side, but then realized it could also mean I have to go take a shit, so I left it at that. We even thought about adding a toilet flushing at the end.