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.
He's a dog
But he's dressed up like a sheep
Got bones all through the backyard
But he likes to drink tea
We play scrabble on the weekend
And he talks about the weather most of the time
I thought my sacred body with him
It would be fine
And I walked into the doorway
He slid across the room
My heart, it started racing
I just didn't know what to do
And he laid me on the floor
And my screams they go unheard
The lady living next door
Well, she's 6 feet under the dirt
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Someone's gonna hurt me, there's nothing I can do
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Someone's gonna hurt me, there's nothing I can do
He's a dog
But he's dressed up like a sheep
He's got bones all through the backyard
But he likes to fool me
And I travel through the doorway
I thought I'd be fine
But it's not the way it's gonna go
This time
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Someone's gonna hurt me, there's nothing I can do
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Somebody is going to hurt me, there's nothing I can do
And all this time I needed you
And all this time I wanted you
You can't hear me now, can't hear me now
Like you do
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Someone's gonna hurt me, there's nothing I can do
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Somebody is going to hurt me, there's nothing I, I can do
But he's dressed up like a sheep
Got bones all through the backyard
But he likes to drink tea
We play scrabble on the weekend
And he talks about the weather most of the time
I thought my sacred body with him
It would be fine
And I walked into the doorway
He slid across the room
My heart, it started racing
I just didn't know what to do
And he laid me on the floor
And my screams they go unheard
The lady living next door
Well, she's 6 feet under the dirt
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Someone's gonna hurt me, there's nothing I can do
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Someone's gonna hurt me, there's nothing I can do
He's a dog
But he's dressed up like a sheep
He's got bones all through the backyard
But he likes to fool me
And I travel through the doorway
I thought I'd be fine
But it's not the way it's gonna go
This time
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Someone's gonna hurt me, there's nothing I can do
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Somebody is going to hurt me, there's nothing I can do
And all this time I needed you
And all this time I wanted you
You can't hear me now, can't hear me now
Like you do
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Someone's gonna hurt me, there's nothing I can do
Daddy, why don't you protect me?
Somebody is going to hurt me, there's nothing I, I can do
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He's a dog But he's dressed up like a sheep Got bones all through the backyard But he likes to drink tea
We play scrabble on the weekend And he talks about the weather most of the time I thought my sacred body With him it would be fine
And I walked into the doorway He slid across the room My heart, it started racing I just didn't know what to do And he laid me on the floor And my screams they go unheard The lady living next door Well she's six feet under the dirt
Daddy, why don't you protect me Someone's gonna hurt me There's nothing I can do Daddy, why don't you protect me Someone's gonna hurt me There's nothing I can do
He's a dog But he's dressed up like a sheep He's got bones all through the backyard But he likes to fool me And I travel through the doorway I thought I'd be fine But it's not the way it's gonna go this time
Daddy, why don't you protect me Someone's gonna hurt me There's nothing I can do Daddy, why don't you protect me Somebody is going to hurt me There's nothing I can do
And all this time I needed you And all this time I wanted you You can't hear me now Can't hear me now Like you do
Daddy, why don't you protect me Someone's gonna hurt me There's nothing I can do Daddy, why don't you protect me Somebody is going to hurt me There's nothing I, I can do
My favorite of her solo career (thus far), but a very sad song. Haven't decided if this is about father/daughter incest or sexual abuse of another kind. Julia's voice is perfect for this song....so innocent sounding like a young child's. Regardless of what this song is about, one thing for sure is it is about some kind of victimhood and loss of innocence.