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.
If I lived in China,
I'd have some Chinese children
If I lived in China,
I'd have some Chinese children
Well out of my toes,
My little black baby grows
And that's my fact
Well if I lived in China,
I'd have some Chinese children
Yeah, if I lived in China,
I'd have some Chinese children
Well if I lived in China,
If I lived in China
Well out of my ears,
My little black baby hears
And that's my fact
Now if I lived in Russia,
I'd have some Chinese children
Yeah, if I lived in Prussia,
I'd have some Chinese children
Well if I lived in India,
They'd still be Chinese children
And out of my toes,
My little blue baby grows
And that's another fact
Now if I lived in Ireland,
I'd have some Chinese children
Yeah, if I lived in Ireland,
I'd have some Chinese children
Well if I lived in Spain-land,
They'd still be Chinese children
And if I lived in Greece-land,
They'd still be Chinese children
But out of my thumbs,
My little red baby runs
And that's another fact
An unchanging fact
Now if I lived in my land, which I do,
I'd still have Chinese children
And if I lived in Iceland,
I'd still have Chinese children
Well if I lived in Greenland,
I'd still have Chinese children
But out of my ears,
My little gray baby hears
And that's my fact
Well if I lived in Thailand,
I'd have some Chinese children
And if I lived in Japan
I'd still have Chinese children
Well if I lived in this land,
Or if I lived in that land
And up from my lungs
And standing on my tongue
My little baby sung
Yeah, if I lived in Brooklyn,
I'd still have Chinese children
And if I lived in Oakland,
I'd still have Chinese children
If I was an Indian
Yeah, if I was an Indian
Whatever I do,
They're Chinese through and through
Well I like Chinese children
I got Chinese children
I'd have some Chinese children
If I lived in China,
I'd have some Chinese children
Well out of my toes,
My little black baby grows
And that's my fact
Well if I lived in China,
I'd have some Chinese children
Yeah, if I lived in China,
I'd have some Chinese children
Well if I lived in China,
If I lived in China
Well out of my ears,
My little black baby hears
And that's my fact
Now if I lived in Russia,
I'd have some Chinese children
Yeah, if I lived in Prussia,
I'd have some Chinese children
Well if I lived in India,
They'd still be Chinese children
And out of my toes,
My little blue baby grows
And that's another fact
Now if I lived in Ireland,
I'd have some Chinese children
Yeah, if I lived in Ireland,
I'd have some Chinese children
Well if I lived in Spain-land,
They'd still be Chinese children
And if I lived in Greece-land,
They'd still be Chinese children
But out of my thumbs,
My little red baby runs
And that's another fact
An unchanging fact
Now if I lived in my land, which I do,
I'd still have Chinese children
And if I lived in Iceland,
I'd still have Chinese children
Well if I lived in Greenland,
I'd still have Chinese children
But out of my ears,
My little gray baby hears
And that's my fact
Well if I lived in Thailand,
I'd have some Chinese children
And if I lived in Japan
I'd still have Chinese children
Well if I lived in this land,
Or if I lived in that land
And up from my lungs
And standing on my tongue
My little baby sung
Yeah, if I lived in Brooklyn,
I'd still have Chinese children
And if I lived in Oakland,
I'd still have Chinese children
If I was an Indian
Yeah, if I was an Indian
Whatever I do,
They're Chinese through and through
Well I like Chinese children
I got Chinese children
Lyrics submitted by bollywoodtoile
Chinese Children Lyrics as written by Devendra Banhart
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I wonder if it has anything to do with a myth that he just decided to turn in to a nonsensical song? I know he was talking about China, but there is this Yourba (Nigerian) myth about this woman who gives birth to a baby through her thumb, and his name is ZURRJIR and basically he eats everything in the house so his parents decide to kill him, but he comes back as a half-baby and affixes himself to his mothers head. Yeah, this is sort of trippy and unrelated, but interesting nonetheless. It was just like, as soon as i read that I was like "Out of my thuuuuuubs, my little red baby runs, and thats another fact!"