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 tremble
They're gonna eat me alive
If I stumble
They're gonna eat me alive
Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Hard to be soft
Tough to be tender
Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train
Help I'm alive my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
If you're still alive
My regrets are few
If my life is mine
What shouldn't I do?
I get wherever I'm going
I get whatever I need
While my blood's still flowing
And my heart's still beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Hard to be soft
Tough to be tender
Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train
Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
If you're still alive
My regrets are few
If my life is mine
What shouldn't I do?
I get wherever I'm going
I get whatever I need
While my blood's still flowing
And my heart's still
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
I tremble
They're gonna eat me alive
If I stumble
They're gonna eat me alive
Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
They're gonna eat me alive
If I stumble
They're gonna eat me alive
Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Hard to be soft
Tough to be tender
Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train
Help I'm alive my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
If you're still alive
My regrets are few
If my life is mine
What shouldn't I do?
I get wherever I'm going
I get whatever I need
While my blood's still flowing
And my heart's still beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Hard to be soft
Tough to be tender
Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train
Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
If you're still alive
My regrets are few
If my life is mine
What shouldn't I do?
I get wherever I'm going
I get whatever I need
While my blood's still flowing
And my heart's still
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
I tremble
They're gonna eat me alive
If I stumble
They're gonna eat me alive
Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Lyrics submitted by strykerchick, edited by AutyoFaygo
Help I'm Alive Lyrics as written by James Shaw Emily Haines
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is about Emily Haine's nerves about moving to a new place-where she wrote Fantasies-and even though it sounds like a song about a post apocalypse world with zombies, it's not. It's about how it feels to live in a new place with new people and new faces. Fantasies is wonderfully basic for Metric.
"Take my pulse the pace is on a runaway train" means her heart is pounding because she's afraid. That's literal.
"If you're still alive" If you haven't died because of my absence. "My regrets are few" then i don't regret doing this. "If my life is mine" If this truly is MY life, "What shouldn't I do?" Then why shouldn't i do what i want? "I get wherever I'm going" I get wherever i want to go on my own without anyone's help. "I get whatever I need" I get what i really need on my own. "While my blood's still flowing" while I'm still alive--moving hasn't killed me. "And My heart's still beating like a hammer" And my heart's still pounding because I'm nervous as hell.
I tremble They're gonna eat me alive If I stumble They're gonna eat me alive
-- If I mess up, the people in this strange, new place, are going to socially eat me alive. And i'll be nothing here.
No, its definitely about Zombies mate.
there becomes a point in life that you need to put everything on the line to see if you will be a success or a failure. This song is about that fear and drive that comes to you when you do this. It just isn't about moving but facing those fears of success or failure. Read My initial thought. You are right on. The musical changes also match the feelings you have when you are facing these challenges in life. Good evaluation.