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.
Oh, Coco
Well, folks, I'm going down to St. James Infirmary
And seen my little baby there
She's stretched out on a long, white table
Well, she looks so good, so cold, so fair
Let her go, let her go, God bless her
Wherever she may be
You may search this whole wide world over
But you'll never find another sweetheart like me
Yeah
Take apart your bones and put 'em back together
Tell your momma that you're somebody new
Feel the breeze blowin'
Tell 'em all, "Look out, here he comes"
Now I can say whatever I feel like to you
Then give me six crap-shootin' pallbearers
Let a chorus girl sing me a song
Put a red-hot jazz band at the top
We raise Hallelujah, as we go along
Well
Well, folks, now that you have heard my story
Say, boy, hand me another shot of that rye
And if anyone else should ask you
Just tell 'em
I've got some of those St. James Infirmary blues
Well, folks, I'm going down to St. James Infirmary
And seen my little baby there
She's stretched out on a long, white table
Well, she looks so good, so cold, so fair
Let her go, let her go, God bless her
Wherever she may be
You may search this whole wide world over
But you'll never find another sweetheart like me
Yeah
Take apart your bones and put 'em back together
Tell your momma that you're somebody new
Feel the breeze blowin'
Tell 'em all, "Look out, here he comes"
Now I can say whatever I feel like to you
Then give me six crap-shootin' pallbearers
Let a chorus girl sing me a song
Put a red-hot jazz band at the top
We raise Hallelujah, as we go along
Well
Well, folks, now that you have heard my story
Say, boy, hand me another shot of that rye
And if anyone else should ask you
Just tell 'em
I've got some of those St. James Infirmary blues
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This is a great song, but there are plenty of other versions which are great too. I found a website once that traced the history of this song to Ireland...I think. Anyway I love they way they perform it and I also dig the Louis Armstrong version too.