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.
A boy with a coin he found in the weeds
With bullets and pages of trade magazines
Close to a car that flipped on the turn
When god left the ground to circle the world
A girl with a bird she found in the snow
Then flew up her gown and that's how she knows
That God made her eyes for crying at birth
Then left the ground to circle the Earth
A boy with a coin he crammed in his jeans
Then making a wish, he tossed in the sea
Walked to a town that all of us burn
When god left the ground to circle the world
With bullets and pages of trade magazines
Close to a car that flipped on the turn
When god left the ground to circle the world
A girl with a bird she found in the snow
Then flew up her gown and that's how she knows
That God made her eyes for crying at birth
Then left the ground to circle the Earth
A boy with a coin he crammed in his jeans
Then making a wish, he tossed in the sea
Walked to a town that all of us burn
When god left the ground to circle the world
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From what little bit I know of Sam, as far as his beliefs and political views are concerned, I personally have the impression that this song reflects his empathy and sadness towards apparently innocent people caught up in a terrible world. I believe Sam is asking the ageless question, "why do such bad things happen to good people?"
The boy represents the young people of this generation. They have come upon a "car that flipped on the turn." I take this to represent Sam's view of global society, something that has lost control and wrecked itself. This is demonstrated by his description of what surrounds the car: both bullets and trade (stock market) magazines.
It is the perfect image of a speeding machine full of violence, selfishness, and commercial greed, carrying reckless passengers until it meets an unforeseen turn and flips into destruction. This is what the boy discovers when he ventures out of his home, out of the safety of adolescence. To the boy it seems that God was not here, God must have been somewhere else in order for something so bad to happen. Sam writes, "A car... flipped on the turn / when God left the ground to circle the world."
In the next verse Sam mentions a girl, typical again of youth, especially young women. I - and many others - believe that Sam very delicately describes rape, symbolized by a bird that "flew up her gown, and that's how she knows." In other words, she found out what sex was through something so terrible, and it seems to her as if God made her whole life for misery, from the moment she was born. "God made her eyes for crying at birth, Then left the ground to circle the earth."
There is much disagreement about what the coin symbolizes. I think it may represent first impressions of the world, something we found when we first discovered the wreck of things, a hopeful outlook maybe.
The boy is described as "cramming" it into his jeans. Perhaps with time he no longer cares so much for his original token. Finally, as a grown man he throws his youthful ideas into the sea and wishes things were better than they are. He walks right back into the place from which the car came, "a town that all of us burn When God left the ground to circle the world."
In my opinion, it is unlikely that Sam is attacking God. He may not even be convinced any God exists. It is more likely that his idea of God leaving is more like, "we ruined this world ourselves, and I'm not surprised that God left." Sam has written recently about this album being fueled by his grief over not just the war in Iraq, but the whole social situation. I can understand. Only ten years have passed, but things are way different than when I was a kid. Greater threats of enormous wars, impending economic collapse, more and more hollow media trying to convince us that life is fulfilled in watching programs and buying albums.
I wouldn't want to listen to this song on repeat all the time, but it is sometimes necessary for to get shaken up by the honest, empty confession of a person without solid hopes. I started crying when I heard this song, and almost even when I wrote this, because Sam's song describes so many people who think that God has abandoned them; that He is out "circling the world" while everything falls to pieces. They have not yet seen that they are utterly sinful, and yet God took the form of a man, Jesus Christ, and willingly bore the wrath for sin, and died for sinners. I cried because I love people and I don't want them to walk back into the "burning town".
Anyways, the song is excellently written. It's not overtly filthy or sinful, nor does it promote godlessness, so I'm not "against it". It's just sad to hear, you know, just like watching the news I guess. But we can't hide from the reality around us. It made me want to die with Christ each day, and tell another person of His grace to forgive and rebirth us.
Mike:. theopenlife.com
I guess the somewhat stark ambiguity of the lyrics is what makes this song so touching and interesting for everyone. Honestly, I don't know Sam Beam, or too much about him. I do know he was a film professor and because of that he is very visual. And most certainly, I don't know why EVERYONE seems to equate the bird in verse two with rape. <br /> <br /> Did you see the video??? Perhaps it's about SEX, becoming a woman. <br /> <br /> A girl with a bird she found in the snow<br /> Then flew up her gown and that's how she knows<br /> If God made her eyes for crying at birth<br /> Then left the ground to circle the earth<br /> <br /> Does anyone remember the story titled "The Scarlet Ibis"? <br /> <br /> The bird she found in the snow, drip drip, it flew up her dress - PERIOD! <br /> <br /> If god made her eyes only for crying at birth, then it would be truly a horrible world if that was the only thing a woman was good for. <br /> <br /> Perhaps its just a bare reference to coming of age - not rape. Not so nefarious. <br /> <br /> Seriously, I don't think Sam Beam intended the second verse to be a rape verse. It's probably just a song about coming of age and growing up. Same with the boy verses.<br /> <br /> Sam Beam seems to contemplate the universe and the utter lack of a monotheistic "god" other than the life spirit that connects all living things. <br /> <br /> I could be wrong.
I think based on your analysis, the coin would obviously symbolize the young generation's inheritance from the past society. I agree that the flipped car represents this past society--I think it's fair to describe our society as reckless. The trade magazine obviously represents the crazy financial situation we have created...stocks bought with money that doesn't exist in a fake system, a flawed banking system, private federal reserve, etc. The bullets obviously represents war--whenever there is war it is less than ideal. It is really an exceptional picture of our society: a car carelessly speeding around a turn.<br /> <br /> As you mentioned, the boy is cramming this inheritance in his jeans. This implies some sort of discomfort with it. It's almost forced on him. This would represent the new generation trying to make it work with the broken system that has been left to them. It obviously won't work out, as we see the boy throw the coin to the sea. He returns to the city we burn. There is implied hope in this last action. As opposed to remaining by the sea or walking away completely, the boy returns to society to start again and start new. Or there is implied futility: Beam may be implying instead that he will start new and inevitably fail, tough to say which is the case.<br /> <br /> One thing that Beam wants to portray about this fresh start is that it will once again be without "god". The circling the earth I believe is in reference to the second coming of Christ--if I am correct, Beam would be implying (in a facetious sense) that Jesus was here, abandoned us, but will be back--there is an air of disdain to his line. In any case he is certainly asking the question "Where is God in all of this?"<br /> <br /> I'm not sure about the second verse, but I'll side with those saying it is a subtle picture of rape. If that were the case, I think it too would be a very apt and moving picture for what he is trying to present. Beam is a poet indeed.<br /> <br /> Mike, I just wanted to say it's encouraging to see your passion for sharing God's love. I too am a Christian, and I know that the only real answer to these problems is found through Jesus. And I too have a hard time listening to man's many attempts to defy God.
I'm wondering if in the second verse, the line "IF God made her eyes .." is supposed to be "THAT God made her eyes.." <br /> <br /> It may not seem to be a big deal but I believe that such a simple change/correction, definitely reinforces the idea that the little girl has been raped.<br /> <br /> She feels God has forsaken her, since (as she probably views it) God allowed her to be raped, to her this must mean THAT God made her eyes for crying.