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.
4 in the morning the sidewalk's asleep
Dogs on the porch,
Spiders on the leaf
Shipwrecked by night sailing through days
Nobody noticed the slipping away
Connecting the dots with thorns in his side
Boarded up the Windows with pain and with pride
The music box broken that once was his soul
Its sad little song spinning out of control
Then came the storm that washed the roads out
Closed both his eyes and pointed straight south
Second line drums marched into the sea
While the clouds overhead cried "mutiny"
They parted for Cathy and her bitter news
As her words fail and the sky grew dim
Recalled how close to that exit l've been
Ours not to reply, ours not to reason why
The news about William
The lifeline retreats
Desire for release
The thorns in his side
Dogs on the porch,
Spiders on the leaf
Shipwrecked by night sailing through days
Nobody noticed the slipping away
Connecting the dots with thorns in his side
Boarded up the Windows with pain and with pride
The music box broken that once was his soul
Its sad little song spinning out of control
Then came the storm that washed the roads out
Closed both his eyes and pointed straight south
Second line drums marched into the sea
While the clouds overhead cried "mutiny"
They parted for Cathy and her bitter news
As her words fail and the sky grew dim
Recalled how close to that exit l've been
Ours not to reply, ours not to reason why
The news about William
The lifeline retreats
Desire for release
The thorns in his side
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!
I listened to a podcast a while ago in which Joey Burns talked about an old childhood friend, Bill Wilson, who had taken his own life. A high school friend, Cathy, told Joey about that. Joey said he wanted to write something about it, something that wasn't too specific but showes, what leads up to that.