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.
Well I'm just people watching, the other people watching me
We're all people watching, the other people watching we
We're as lonely as we want it to be
We're all as lonely as we want it to be
Just as lonely as we want it to be
I'm just you, you're just me
It's only true, if we believe
Well there really ain't no use in stopping
What nobody never told me not to do
So I'll keep people watching
Watching me now
Finding my way back to you
We're as lonely as we want it to be
We're all as lonely as we want it to be
I'm just as lonely as we want it to be
I'm just you, you're just me
It's only, true if we believe
I see so many feet going so many ways
People passing by they got nothing to say
On our own just watching and confused
Well if nobody told me what to do
I guess I'm breaking all the rules
Well I'm just people watching the other people watching me
We're all people watching the other people watching we
We're as lonely as we want it to be
We're not so lonely as we want it to be
I'm just as lonely as I want it to be
Not so lonely
Lonely
Lonely
Lonely
Lonely
Lonely
Lonely
We're all people watching, the other people watching we
We're as lonely as we want it to be
We're all as lonely as we want it to be
Just as lonely as we want it to be
I'm just you, you're just me
It's only true, if we believe
Well there really ain't no use in stopping
What nobody never told me not to do
So I'll keep people watching
Watching me now
Finding my way back to you
We're as lonely as we want it to be
We're all as lonely as we want it to be
I'm just as lonely as we want it to be
I'm just you, you're just me
It's only, true if we believe
I see so many feet going so many ways
People passing by they got nothing to say
On our own just watching and confused
Well if nobody told me what to do
I guess I'm breaking all the rules
Well I'm just people watching the other people watching me
We're all people watching the other people watching we
We're as lonely as we want it to be
We're not so lonely as we want it to be
I'm just as lonely as I want it to be
Not so lonely
Lonely
Lonely
Lonely
Lonely
Lonely
Lonely
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I think it's about how people say they're lonely but they really only are because they're living in their own world and not acknowledging anyone else. There are so many lonely people who wouldn't be if they stopped just watching eachother and started a conversation.
"I see so many feet going so many ways People passing by they got nothing to say"
This reminds me of the city when it's busy. In the streets is a huge crowd of people who are all together in the same place but totally disconected from eachother.
Soo true!