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.
Ooh oh oh oh, ooh oh oh oh
Be careful making wishes in the dark
Can't be sure when they've hit their mark
And besides in the mean-meantime I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart
I'm in the de-details with the devil
So now the world can never get me on my level
I just got to get you out of the cage
I'm a young lovers rage
Gonna need a spark to ignite
My songs know what you did in the dark
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
All the writers keep writing what they write
Somewhere another pretty vein just dies
I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see
That you're the antidote to everything, except for me
A constellation of tears on your lashes
Burn everything you love
Then burn the ashes
In the end everything collides
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see
My songs know what you did in the dark
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
My songs know what you did in the dark
My songs know what you did in the dark
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
Ooh oh oh
Be careful making wishes in the dark
Can't be sure when they've hit their mark
And besides in the mean-meantime I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart
I'm in the de-details with the devil
So now the world can never get me on my level
I just got to get you out of the cage
I'm a young lovers rage
Gonna need a spark to ignite
My songs know what you did in the dark
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
All the writers keep writing what they write
Somewhere another pretty vein just dies
I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see
That you're the antidote to everything, except for me
A constellation of tears on your lashes
Burn everything you love
Then burn the ashes
In the end everything collides
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see
My songs know what you did in the dark
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
My songs know what you did in the dark
My songs know what you did in the dark
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
So light em up up up, light em up up up
Light em up up up, I'm on fire
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
Ooh oh oh oh (in the dark-dark)
Ooh oh oh
Lyrics submitted by aristuma21, edited by thrwmyhrtawy., bondoge, Mellow_Harsher, fool4lyrix, gwynnpark, Overcastkid, theSyd16, zreeram
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) Lyrics as written by Butch Walker Andrew Hurley
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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it was a 2005 demo
and it's fucking perfect