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.
You crawl in bed its 3 am you
Smell of wine and cigarettes
A butterfly under the glass; you are beautiful
But your not going anywhere
We do the same thing everynight I
Swear I've heard this song before
A swimmer who has seen a shark, I should
Really be more wary of the water
You came you saw you conquered everyone
And I'm left here guessing o what went wrong
Yeah I'm down but not out and far from dome
Hey all! beware! criminal
A prism with an intellect
You throw your light selectively
You stole my glow a seasoned thief, the blacks
Of my eyes are turning into opals
Today I walk there's nothing left here for me
But empty promises and the though of
All the things I'm never getting back
You came you saw you conquered everyone
Now I'm left here bleeding
Oh what went wrong
Ya I'm down but not out
And far from done
Hey all! beware! criminal
Did you think did you think I wouldn't notice
Did you think did you think did you really think I wouldn't care
Smell of wine and cigarettes
A butterfly under the glass; you are beautiful
But your not going anywhere
We do the same thing everynight I
Swear I've heard this song before
A swimmer who has seen a shark, I should
Really be more wary of the water
You came you saw you conquered everyone
And I'm left here guessing o what went wrong
Yeah I'm down but not out and far from dome
Hey all! beware! criminal
A prism with an intellect
You throw your light selectively
You stole my glow a seasoned thief, the blacks
Of my eyes are turning into opals
Today I walk there's nothing left here for me
But empty promises and the though of
All the things I'm never getting back
You came you saw you conquered everyone
Now I'm left here bleeding
Oh what went wrong
Ya I'm down but not out
And far from done
Hey all! beware! criminal
Did you think did you think I wouldn't notice
Did you think did you think did you really think I wouldn't care
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
I too believe it's about a guy who was in a relationship with a girl who promised him things all the time, leading him on but at the same time only was using him for money so he would always spend money on her. As he was spending money on her and hanging on her false promises she never fulfilled those promises and also even occasionally cheated on him. *She may even have gone as far as using sex for power, withholding it at times to get what she wanted from him.
ie - Did you think did you think I wouldn't notice Did you think did you think did you really think I wouldn't care and A swimmer who has seen a shark, I should Really be more wary of the water
those two lines speak to my last point there.
All in all this, in general, speaks to a betrayed guy who's been dragged through the mud by a girl who was never ever who she portrayed herself to be. She stole money from him (essentially, her lies kept the relationship going, so he'd spend money on her) and she stole his heart while cheating on him and giving more sex to others then to him. Lastly she never loved him and he was simply there to drive her places and be her robot boy she could manipulate and control at her whim.