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.
Stripped of life, alone
In the midst of something that I
Want to play with your evil inside
Wanting, letting go, of what never could be again
Lost and alone
Imprisoned now inside of your mind
With the way you tried
To destroy me again
You were waiting and living for no one
With the way you tried
To completely refuse all your life
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me
Awaken you
With a little evil inside
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me
I've stricken you
I don't wanna live with the lie
Feed on your nothing
And you'll never live up to me
Awaken you, oh no
Can't live up to me
I've stricken you
Feed on your nothing and you'll never live up to me
Stripped of life, alone
In the midst of something that I
Want to play with your evil inside
Wanting, letting go, of what never could be again
Lost and alone
Imprisoned now inside your mind
With the way you tried
To destroy me again
You were waiting and living for no one
With the way you tried
To completely refuse all your life
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me
Awaken you
With a little evil inside
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me
I've stricken you
I don't wanna live with the lie
Feed on your nothing
And you'll never live up to me
Awaken you, oh no
Can't live up to me
I've stricken you
Can't live up to me
There isn't a thing that I can do
Watching this whole thing just wash away
Making me wrong
There isn't a thing that I can do
Watching this whole thing just wash away
Making me wrong
Making you strong
Awaken you
With a little evil inside
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me
I've stricken you
I don't wanna live with the lie
Feed on your nothing
And you'll never live up to me
Ooh can't live up to me, yeah
Feed on your nothing and you'll never live up to me
In the midst of something that I
Want to play with your evil inside
Wanting, letting go, of what never could be again
Lost and alone
Imprisoned now inside of your mind
With the way you tried
To destroy me again
You were waiting and living for no one
With the way you tried
To completely refuse all your life
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me
Awaken you
With a little evil inside
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me
I've stricken you
I don't wanna live with the lie
Feed on your nothing
And you'll never live up to me
Awaken you, oh no
Can't live up to me
I've stricken you
Feed on your nothing and you'll never live up to me
Stripped of life, alone
In the midst of something that I
Want to play with your evil inside
Wanting, letting go, of what never could be again
Lost and alone
Imprisoned now inside your mind
With the way you tried
To destroy me again
You were waiting and living for no one
With the way you tried
To completely refuse all your life
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me
Awaken you
With a little evil inside
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me
I've stricken you
I don't wanna live with the lie
Feed on your nothing
And you'll never live up to me
Awaken you, oh no
Can't live up to me
I've stricken you
Can't live up to me
There isn't a thing that I can do
Watching this whole thing just wash away
Making me wrong
There isn't a thing that I can do
Watching this whole thing just wash away
Making me wrong
Making you strong
Awaken you
With a little evil inside
Feed on your nothing
You'll never live up to me
I've stricken you
I don't wanna live with the lie
Feed on your nothing
And you'll never live up to me
Ooh can't live up to me, yeah
Feed on your nothing and you'll never live up to me
Lyrics submitted by Robert Metal
Awaken Lyrics as written by David Draiman Dan Donegan
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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One of my favorites of Disturbed. This song to me is open to interpretation. To me personally when I listen to it, it speaks to those in my life who have affected me most negatively with their insensitivity and ignorance. Whether they were fully aware of their effect or not. It also speaks to the pain and anguish people like this plant inside of our psyche and in turn create a tornado of stress and disgust within us that can broil over. I think the song explores the layers of established anger and hate that are formed when this negative person in our lives is allowed to continue to affect us in such a deep & dark way. The need within is to reject them, to fight back and the evil thoughts that become implanted in our minds as to how we wish to rid our selves of them completely.