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've got a really bad disease
It's got me begging
On my hands and knees
So take me to the emergency
Cause something seems to be missing
Somebody take the pain away
It's like an ulcer bleeding in my brain
Send me to the pharmacy
So I can lose my memory
I'm elated
Medicated
Lord knows I tried to find a way to run away
I think they found another cure
For broken hearts and feeling insecure
You'd be surprised what I endure
What make you feel self-assure?
I need to find a place to hide
You never know what could be
Waiting outside
The accidents you could find
It's like some kind of suicide
So what ails you is what impales you
I feel like I've been crucified to be satisfied
I'm a victim of my symptom
I am my own worst enemy
You're a victim of your symptom
You are your own worst enemy
Know your enemy
I'm elated
Medicated
I am my own worst enemy
So what ails you is what impales you
You are your own worst enemy
You're a victim of the system
You are your own worst enemy
You're a victim of the system
You are your own worst enemy
It's got me begging
On my hands and knees
So take me to the emergency
Cause something seems to be missing
Somebody take the pain away
It's like an ulcer bleeding in my brain
Send me to the pharmacy
So I can lose my memory
I'm elated
Medicated
Lord knows I tried to find a way to run away
I think they found another cure
For broken hearts and feeling insecure
You'd be surprised what I endure
What make you feel self-assure?
I need to find a place to hide
You never know what could be
Waiting outside
The accidents you could find
It's like some kind of suicide
So what ails you is what impales you
I feel like I've been crucified to be satisfied
I'm a victim of my symptom
I am my own worst enemy
You're a victim of your symptom
You are your own worst enemy
Know your enemy
I'm elated
Medicated
I am my own worst enemy
So what ails you is what impales you
You are your own worst enemy
You're a victim of the system
You are your own worst enemy
You're a victim of the system
You are your own worst enemy
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!
Act two is really the weakest of this new epic...
...but this song saves it. Act two tragedy is a common theatric device and it occurs here when the phrase "know your enemy" twists around from a rallying hope to a realization of disillusionment. Gloria is truly the dynamic player here, challenging the listener to think about his/her own patriotism, whether the current America is worth the fight or if a new America is warranted (the idea of "punk" and "revolution" are indeed interconnected).
This isn't just a personal experience, the lyrics make it a point to spread the symptoms around. Can act three find a cure?
i have to disagree with that, I think Act II was the strongest