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.
Kiss all your fingers
What's that for
You'll never get to heaven
With your shirt all tore
Cut through your finger
And cut you loose
Lost a lot a blood
Lost a lot a cool cool cool
Now it ain't such a thrill
It ain't such a thrill
Now it ain't such a thrill
It get's a little dirty
Like the guts of a hack
And you'll never get it back
You'll never get the damn thing back
Looked a picture
It took up half a roll
The way you went and took off
Half your clothes, and now
It ain't such a thrill
It ain't such a thrill
It started at the back of the shell
And it ain't such a thrill
Running to catch up
The last city bus
Wearing out your yellow
Hula dress
Lipstick a mess
Your ch-cherry best
Kissing on the window
Just to check on the red
You know, it ain't such a thrill
Now it ain't such a thrill
It started at the back of the shell
Now it ain't such a thrill
It ain't such a thrill
It ain't such a thrill
It ain't such a thrill
What's that for
You'll never get to heaven
With your shirt all tore
Cut through your finger
And cut you loose
Lost a lot a blood
Lost a lot a cool cool cool
Now it ain't such a thrill
It ain't such a thrill
Now it ain't such a thrill
It get's a little dirty
Like the guts of a hack
And you'll never get it back
You'll never get the damn thing back
Looked a picture
It took up half a roll
The way you went and took off
Half your clothes, and now
It ain't such a thrill
It ain't such a thrill
It started at the back of the shell
And it ain't such a thrill
Running to catch up
The last city bus
Wearing out your yellow
Hula dress
Lipstick a mess
Your ch-cherry best
Kissing on the window
Just to check on the red
You know, it ain't such a thrill
Now it ain't such a thrill
It started at the back of the shell
Now it ain't such a thrill
It ain't such a thrill
It ain't such a thrill
It ain't such a thrill
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This song made me think about someone's ego. The back of the shell, meaning that someone who is not popular, quite shy. Then, the person puts a lot of effort in to being the center of attention. I hear in the song, that he/she becomes the opposite of shy, which is the "stuck on yourself" sort. During this change, the relationship with a particular friend or lover fails, and is written from this point of view...of being hard to relate to because someone went through a radical attitude change.