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.
There's a new sensation
A fabulous creation
A danceable solution
To teenage revolution
Do the Strand love
When you feel love
It's the new way
That's why we say
Do the Strand
Do it on the tables
Quaglino's place or mabel's
Slow and gentle
Sentimental
All styles served here
Louis seize he prefer
Laissez-faire Le Strand
Tired of the tango
Fed up with fandango
Dance on moonbeams
Slide on rainbows
In furs or blue jeans
You know what I mean
Do the Strand
Had your fill of quadrilles
The madison and cheap thrills
Bored with the Beguine
The samba isn't your scene
They're playing our tune
By the pale moon
We're incognito
Down the Lido
And we like the Strand
Arabs at oasis
Eskimos and Chinese
If you feel blue
Look through who's who
See La Goulue
And Nijinsky
Do the Strandsky
Weary of the Waltz
And mashed potato schmaltz
Rhododendron
Is a nice flower
Evergreen
It lasts forever
But it can't beat Strand power
The sphynx and Mona Lisa
Lolita and Guernica
Did the Strand
A fabulous creation
A danceable solution
To teenage revolution
Do the Strand love
When you feel love
It's the new way
That's why we say
Do the Strand
Do it on the tables
Quaglino's place or mabel's
Slow and gentle
Sentimental
All styles served here
Louis seize he prefer
Laissez-faire Le Strand
Tired of the tango
Fed up with fandango
Dance on moonbeams
Slide on rainbows
In furs or blue jeans
You know what I mean
Do the Strand
Had your fill of quadrilles
The madison and cheap thrills
Bored with the Beguine
The samba isn't your scene
They're playing our tune
By the pale moon
We're incognito
Down the Lido
And we like the Strand
Arabs at oasis
Eskimos and Chinese
If you feel blue
Look through who's who
See La Goulue
And Nijinsky
Do the Strandsky
Weary of the Waltz
And mashed potato schmaltz
Rhododendron
Is a nice flower
Evergreen
It lasts forever
But it can't beat Strand power
The sphynx and Mona Lisa
Lolita and Guernica
Did the Strand
Lyrics submitted by Contristo, edited by sleuthroll
Do The Strand Lyrics as written by Bryan Ferry
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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!
The only thing better than an undanceable song about dancing (see Frank Zappa's "Dancin' Fool") is an undanceable song about a specific dance that never gets around to describing what said dance would entail.