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.
Howard Johnson's got his ho-jo workin'
Ho-Jo workin' on me
He's got his hands in my pockets and his heart is cold
I'm so hungry and I'm on the road
I want a grilled cheese and an order of fries
Gotta drink water or I won't get by
I just want to see you on your own
How we ever gonna tell you
Howard Johnson's got his ho-jo workin'
Ho-Jo workin' on me
Check my gas, it's on the empty line
Fill it up while I go waste some time
Plus my family's got to get their fill
I can't do it with a five dollar bill
I just want to see you on your own
How we ever gonna tell you
Howard Johnson's got his ho-jo workin'
Ho-Jo workin' on me
I just want to see you on your own
Not the boy who plays the tuba
Howard Johnson’s got his ho-jo workin’
Ho-jo workin’ on me
Howard Johnson’s got his ho-jo workin’
Ho-jo workin’ on me
Ho-jo workin’
Ho-jo workin’
Ho-jo workin’ out on me
Ho-Jo workin' on me
He's got his hands in my pockets and his heart is cold
I'm so hungry and I'm on the road
I want a grilled cheese and an order of fries
Gotta drink water or I won't get by
I just want to see you on your own
How we ever gonna tell you
Howard Johnson's got his ho-jo workin'
Ho-Jo workin' on me
Check my gas, it's on the empty line
Fill it up while I go waste some time
Plus my family's got to get their fill
I can't do it with a five dollar bill
I just want to see you on your own
How we ever gonna tell you
Howard Johnson's got his ho-jo workin'
Ho-Jo workin' on me
I just want to see you on your own
Not the boy who plays the tuba
Howard Johnson’s got his ho-jo workin’
Ho-jo workin’ on me
Howard Johnson’s got his ho-jo workin’
Ho-jo workin’ on me
Ho-jo workin’
Ho-jo workin’
Ho-jo workin’ out on me
Lyrics submitted by NorthWriter
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Pretty obvious the song is about Howard Johnson's prevalence when travelling at the time. They had hotels, restaurants (over 1000 of them), and motor lodges all across the states. Ho-Jo was a fairly common term for them.