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.
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
See the breaking glass
In the underpass
See the breaking glass
In the underpass
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Hear the crushing steel
Feel the steering wheel
Hear the crushing steel
Feel the steering wheel
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Break
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm leatherette melts
On your burning flesh
You can see your reflection
In the luminescent dash
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
A tear of petrol is in your eye
The hand brake penetrates your thigh
Quick lets make love before you die
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Join the car crash set
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
See the breaking glass
In the underpass
See the breaking glass
In the underpass
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Hear the crushing steel
Feel the steering wheel
Hear the crushing steel
Feel the steering wheel
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Break
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm leatherette melts
On your burning flesh
You can see your reflection
In the luminescent dash
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
A tear of petrol is in your eye
The hand brake penetrates your thigh
Quick lets make love before you die
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
Join the car crash set
Lyrics submitted by fsharpflatmajor
Warm Leatherette Lyrics as written by Daniel Miller
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
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Everything in the song is in reference to JG Ballard's novel Crash - about a cult of people who share a sexual fetish for automobile accidents.
Basically it's a description of two people making love as they burn to death in a crashed car.
I'd assume the "car crash set" refers to the cult... or to a movie set (several of the characters are involved in the film industry, they get off on watching films of car crashes, and the plot focuses around orchestrating an elaborate car crash with the film star Elizabeth Taylor).
The title/chorus, "warm leatherette" is in reference to a faux-leather material often used on car seats
From the wikipedia entry on leatherette: "A disadvantage of plastic leatherette is that it is not porous and does not allow air to pass through it, thus sweat can accumulate if it is used for clothing, car seat coverings etc. It is also known that people exposed to extreme heat (eg: fire burn victims) may suffer additional serious skin damage by contact with burning or melting leatherette." By conveying images of sweat as well as of burning flesh, the title/chorus evokes both sexuality and death.
The repetitive, mechanical nature of the music, and the singer's deadpan vocals also do a good job of mimicking Ballards cold, detatched style of prose.