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.
I tell tales tall as cliffs,
You've got a lisp,
Kid those things are hard to miss,
Like my cripple cough,
Or your weekends lost by the lake,
Well you say I needn't be afraid,
Of all those devils on the wall,
That make a fella small,
When he's feeling brave,
You take his wine away,
There are posters on the wall,
I swear I never saw,
And I've been up all night,
Up all night,
And you came well equipped,
With a gun on your hip,
And some poison on your lips,
But when we wake up,
In our make up,
We'll be clean,
And we won't have nowhere to be,
Oh but I can't talk to you,
The way I've wanted to,
I've been telling lies,
But I'll tell you the truth,
Oh I can't talk to you,
The way I've wanted to,
I've been telling lies,
But I'll tell you the truth,
Darlin' I'm tired
And I should be leavin'
Be leavin',
You know I'm tired
And I should be leavin'
Leavin', tonight
Darlin' I'm tired
And I should be leavin'
Be leavin',
You know I'm tired
And I should be leavin'
And you'll hang like the rest,
We'll leave the noose on,
The attorney's desk,
Take to the streets,
Chant like an old,
Mean doctor of this disease.
You've got a lisp,
Kid those things are hard to miss,
Like my cripple cough,
Or your weekends lost by the lake,
Well you say I needn't be afraid,
Of all those devils on the wall,
That make a fella small,
When he's feeling brave,
You take his wine away,
There are posters on the wall,
I swear I never saw,
And I've been up all night,
Up all night,
And you came well equipped,
With a gun on your hip,
And some poison on your lips,
But when we wake up,
In our make up,
We'll be clean,
And we won't have nowhere to be,
Oh but I can't talk to you,
The way I've wanted to,
I've been telling lies,
But I'll tell you the truth,
Oh I can't talk to you,
The way I've wanted to,
I've been telling lies,
But I'll tell you the truth,
Darlin' I'm tired
And I should be leavin'
Be leavin',
You know I'm tired
And I should be leavin'
Leavin', tonight
Darlin' I'm tired
And I should be leavin'
Be leavin',
You know I'm tired
And I should be leavin'
And you'll hang like the rest,
We'll leave the noose on,
The attorney's desk,
Take to the streets,
Chant like an old,
Mean doctor of this disease.
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oh i took this song so totally different and made it relate to my problem i'm in now. i sometimes don't tell my boyfriend the full truth or i just dont say anything at all, but to me i still feel like i'm lying to him. but the truth is and the facts i'm hiding are that i just want to leave this relationship like i've had enough. so yeah i can talk to him the way i've wanted to. and i've been lying but right now i'm going to tell him the truth and how it is, i'm leaving. i'm done, sick, and tired. that's how i took it.