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'm just a happy kid
Stuck with the heart of a sad punk
Drowning in my id
Always searching like it’s on junk
No matter who hang out with
I can hear the clack clunk
Of the chains that pull the cars up
The roller coaster mountain top so high
When it comes down it shoots back up
Straight back to the sky
I gotta laugh and then i’m asleep
and then I walk around and wanna cry
Out at night to do the strand
The little candles make the bottles glow
Got ink all over my right hand
Getting crushes with no chance to grow
It’s like I’ll never ever land
There’s always too much sun
Or too much snow
I get slow days and no days
I get rusty and it’s hard
but I get notions that oceans
Are coming to my call
[You can learn to get along] x4
I get slow days and no days
I get rusty and it’s hard
but I get notions that oceans
are coming to my call
And I’m just a happy kid
Stuck with the heart of an old punk
Drowning in my id
Always hungry like it’s on junk
No matter who hang out with
I can hear the clack clunk
Of the chains that pull the cars up
The roller coaster mountain top so high
When it comes down it shoots back up
Straight back to the sky
I gotta laugh and then I’m asleep
and then I walk around and wanna cry
[Just a happy kid] x3
Stuck with the heart of a sad punk
Drowning in my id
Always searching like it’s on junk
No matter who hang out with
I can hear the clack clunk
Of the chains that pull the cars up
The roller coaster mountain top so high
When it comes down it shoots back up
Straight back to the sky
I gotta laugh and then i’m asleep
and then I walk around and wanna cry
Out at night to do the strand
The little candles make the bottles glow
Got ink all over my right hand
Getting crushes with no chance to grow
It’s like I’ll never ever land
There’s always too much sun
Or too much snow
I get slow days and no days
I get rusty and it’s hard
but I get notions that oceans
Are coming to my call
[You can learn to get along] x4
I get slow days and no days
I get rusty and it’s hard
but I get notions that oceans
are coming to my call
And I’m just a happy kid
Stuck with the heart of an old punk
Drowning in my id
Always hungry like it’s on junk
No matter who hang out with
I can hear the clack clunk
Of the chains that pull the cars up
The roller coaster mountain top so high
When it comes down it shoots back up
Straight back to the sky
I gotta laugh and then I’m asleep
and then I walk around and wanna cry
[Just a happy kid] x3
Lyrics submitted by ruben, edited by gairos1098
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happy kid happy song
i can't get over how "care-free" yet "thought out" Nada Surf's lyrics are...
and "drowing in my id" is just an awesome line