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.
Fallen like a hammer on a solitary ark
It struck a nail and now we'll never be apart
Just a shadow on the wall
And I curse the ground beneath my feet
Curse the boiling sea
Curse the stars above my head
Staring back at me
Damn the windy Kraken split
Damn the head behind it
Wait for me upon my gallows pole
Hang around, I won't be long
Borderlines
Get me out alive
When it rains
I am right where I belong
I'm sorry but the voice inside my head won't let me go
I know you won't forgive me for the things you'll never know
Come back to me sweet autumn, can it hurry up and find me
Wait for me on the iron row
Hold on
Borderline
Get me out alive
When it rains
I am right where I belong
We crossed the borderline
The architect stopped by his design
I never fell so hard
Could be the odds
I could hesitate to fight
Borderlines
It gets me out alive
When it rains
Fire, it remains
It struck a nail and now we'll never be apart
Just a shadow on the wall
And I curse the ground beneath my feet
Curse the boiling sea
Curse the stars above my head
Staring back at me
Damn the windy Kraken split
Damn the head behind it
Wait for me upon my gallows pole
Hang around, I won't be long
Borderlines
Get me out alive
When it rains
I am right where I belong
I'm sorry but the voice inside my head won't let me go
I know you won't forgive me for the things you'll never know
Come back to me sweet autumn, can it hurry up and find me
Wait for me on the iron row
Hold on
Borderline
Get me out alive
When it rains
I am right where I belong
We crossed the borderline
The architect stopped by his design
I never fell so hard
Could be the odds
I could hesitate to fight
Borderlines
It gets me out alive
When it rains
Fire, it remains
Lyrics submitted by TheImpalerTMX, edited by EternalTearsOfSorrow
Borderlines Lyrics as written by Nicholas Cameron Jost John Dyer Baizley Jr.
Lyrics © Word Collections Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Falling like a hammer On a solitary arc It struck a nail Now we'll never be apart Just a shadow on the wall
And I curse the ground beneath my feet Curse the boiling sea Curse the stars above my head Staring back at me
Damn the whip that cracked and split Damn the hand behind it
Wait for me By my gallows pole Hang around I won't be long
Borderline Get me out alive When it rains I am right where I belong
I'm sorry but the voice Inside my head, won't let me go I know you won't forgive me For the things you'll never know Come back to me sweet Armageddon Hurry up and find me
Wait for me By the iron rail Hold on
Borderline Get me out of line When it rains I am right where I belong
Across the borderline The architect stunned by his design I never fell so hard You'll be the axe... I'm your hesitation marks
Borderline Gets me out alive When it rains Boy, it really rains