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.
Only in the way you want it
Only on the day you want it
Only with your understanding and every single day you want it
Only in the way you want it
Only on the day you want it
Only with your understanding and every single day you want it
You, you
City with the weight upon it
City in the way you want it
City with the safety of a never-ending place on it
City with the weight upon it
City in the way you want it
City with the safety of a never-ending place on it
You, you
We worshiped you
Your red right hand
Won't we see once again
In foreign soil, in foreign land
Who will guide us through the end, oh
Calling on the treasure wanna call me on the semi
Wanna call in for the wizard who always speak spam
Calling on the treasure wanna call me on the semi
Wanna call in for the wizard who always speak spam
You, you
Any chance of peace you want any kind of place
You want to live a bit of live to get suited finer days
Any chance of peace you want any kind of place
You want to live a bit of live to get suited finer days
You, you
We worshipped you
Your red white hand
Won't we see once again
In foreign soil, in foreign land
Who will guide us through the end, oh
Oh
We worshipped you
Your red white hand
Won't we see once again
In foreign soil, in foreign land
Who will guide us through the end, oh
Only on the day you want it
Only with your understanding and every single day you want it
Only in the way you want it
Only on the day you want it
Only with your understanding and every single day you want it
You, you
City with the weight upon it
City in the way you want it
City with the safety of a never-ending place on it
City with the weight upon it
City in the way you want it
City with the safety of a never-ending place on it
You, you
We worshiped you
Your red right hand
Won't we see once again
In foreign soil, in foreign land
Who will guide us through the end, oh
Calling on the treasure wanna call me on the semi
Wanna call in for the wizard who always speak spam
Calling on the treasure wanna call me on the semi
Wanna call in for the wizard who always speak spam
You, you
Any chance of peace you want any kind of place
You want to live a bit of live to get suited finer days
Any chance of peace you want any kind of place
You want to live a bit of live to get suited finer days
You, you
We worshipped you
Your red white hand
Won't we see once again
In foreign soil, in foreign land
Who will guide us through the end, oh
Oh
We worshipped you
Your red white hand
Won't we see once again
In foreign soil, in foreign land
Who will guide us through the end, oh
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by billjohn, Fortunatus
Worship You Lyrics as written by Rostam Batmanglij Ezra Koenig
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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I listened to Ezra talk about this song on BBCR1 and he said, "Overall, the lyrics of 'Worship You' are about kind of believing in something, whether it's a religious belief or a political belief, putting all your faith and then coming to this other point where you start to question it. [...] The idea that there's something that you worship, that you totally leaned on, and then you kind of had to think twice, it left you, it went away, and then you were kind of back on your own for a second."
As others have said, I think that the song is partly about God, but I think it has an ambiguity that allows you to also interpret it as about political figures (perhaps Barack Obama) who betray what you expected of them.