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.
So you want to be en-entertained?
Please look away, don't look away
We're not here cause we want to entertain
You can go away, don't go away
Reality is the new fiction, they say
True is truer these days, truth is man-made
If you're here cause you want to be entertained
You can go away, please go away!
If your heart is done, Johnny get your gun!
Join the rank and file, on your TV dial
You come around looking 1984
You're such a bore, 1984!
You star child, well you're using it like a whore!
It's better than before, oh it's better than before!
You come around sounding 1972
You did nothing new, 1972!
Where's the 'fuck you'?
Where's the black and blue?
Where's the black and blue?
Where's the black and blue?
If your heart is done, Johnny get your gun!
Join the rank and file, on your TV dial
Hey! You look around they are lying to you!
They are lying, ha, they are lying!
Can't you see it is just a silly ruse?
They are lying, I am lying too!
And all you want is entertainment,
Rip me open, it's so freeing, yeah
If your heart is done, Johnny get your gun!
Join the rank and file, on your TV dial
Don't wear me down, I'm not falling down
Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down
1-2-3! If you wanna take a shot at me, well get in line, line
1-2-3! Baby I heard all the shots and I'm fine
1-2-3! If you haven't had enough of me, well get in line, line
1-2-3! Yeah you deserve it now, it's all right
1-2-3! You can drown in mediocrity, it feels so nice, sublime
(Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down)
1-2-3! Yeah it sounds like someone pushed the rewind
(Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down)
1-2-3! Yeah, give it to me easily, fill your mind, this time
(Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down)
1-2-3! Yeah, make it sweet and syrupy with wine
(Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down)
(Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down
Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down)
If your heart is done, Johnny get your gun!
Join the rank and file, on your TV dial
The grip of fear, is already here
The lines are drawn, whose side are you on?
Please look away, don't look away
We're not here cause we want to entertain
You can go away, don't go away
Reality is the new fiction, they say
True is truer these days, truth is man-made
If you're here cause you want to be entertained
You can go away, please go away!
If your heart is done, Johnny get your gun!
Join the rank and file, on your TV dial
You come around looking 1984
You're such a bore, 1984!
You star child, well you're using it like a whore!
It's better than before, oh it's better than before!
You come around sounding 1972
You did nothing new, 1972!
Where's the 'fuck you'?
Where's the black and blue?
Where's the black and blue?
Where's the black and blue?
If your heart is done, Johnny get your gun!
Join the rank and file, on your TV dial
Hey! You look around they are lying to you!
They are lying, ha, they are lying!
Can't you see it is just a silly ruse?
They are lying, I am lying too!
And all you want is entertainment,
Rip me open, it's so freeing, yeah
If your heart is done, Johnny get your gun!
Join the rank and file, on your TV dial
Don't wear me down, I'm not falling down
Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down
1-2-3! If you wanna take a shot at me, well get in line, line
1-2-3! Baby I heard all the shots and I'm fine
1-2-3! If you haven't had enough of me, well get in line, line
1-2-3! Yeah you deserve it now, it's all right
1-2-3! You can drown in mediocrity, it feels so nice, sublime
(Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down)
1-2-3! Yeah it sounds like someone pushed the rewind
(Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down)
1-2-3! Yeah, give it to me easily, fill your mind, this time
(Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down)
1-2-3! Yeah, make it sweet and syrupy with wine
(Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down)
(Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down
Don't drag me down, I'm not falling down)
If your heart is done, Johnny get your gun!
Join the rank and file, on your TV dial
The grip of fear, is already here
The lines are drawn, whose side are you on?
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This is a song that has quite a number of meanings on several levels. In another perspective, they are also raging against following blindly into the nostalgia trend, or the confining rules that the music industry were starting to impose on bands at the time. (Since then, the later has gotten much worse; of the top official songs of the year in the last five, all of them have used the same exact underlying structure.I think they may also be upset that this confining structure is being imposed on music.)