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.
Tragic youth was looking young and sexy
The tragic youth was wearing tattered black jeans
Bearing arms and flaunting all her mischief
The tragic youth was going down on me
And I swear
Woo hoo
Yes I swear
I built a wall of sound to separate us
And hid among the junk of wretched highs
I sped from Planet X to Planet Alpha
Struggling for reality
Ha ha ha ha
Woo hoo
Ha ha ha ha
Whoo hoo
Hey, now my sight is failing in this twilight
Da da da da da da da da da
Now my death is more than just a sad song
Da da da da da da da da da
And I swear
Woo hoo
Yes I swear
Woo hoo
I still don't remember how this happened
I still don't get the wherefores and the whys
I look for sense but I get next to nothing
Hey boy welcome to reality
Ha ha ha ha
Woo hoo
I've been right and I've been wrong
Now I'm back where I started from
Never looked over reality's shoulder
Ha ha ha ha
Huh ha ha ha
Woo hoo
Huh ha ha
Wooh
Woo hoo
Wooh
The tragic youth was wearing tattered black jeans
Bearing arms and flaunting all her mischief
The tragic youth was going down on me
And I swear
Woo hoo
Yes I swear
I built a wall of sound to separate us
And hid among the junk of wretched highs
I sped from Planet X to Planet Alpha
Struggling for reality
Ha ha ha ha
Woo hoo
Ha ha ha ha
Whoo hoo
Hey, now my sight is failing in this twilight
Da da da da da da da da da
Now my death is more than just a sad song
Da da da da da da da da da
And I swear
Woo hoo
Yes I swear
Woo hoo
I still don't remember how this happened
I still don't get the wherefores and the whys
I look for sense but I get next to nothing
Hey boy welcome to reality
Ha ha ha ha
Woo hoo
I've been right and I've been wrong
Now I'm back where I started from
Never looked over reality's shoulder
Ha ha ha ha
Huh ha ha ha
Woo hoo
Huh ha ha
Wooh
Woo hoo
Wooh
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Really digging this song, and this whole album really. Just recently started listening to some of Bowie's later albums, (always loved his early work though).