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.
See the sun rise over her skin
Don't change it
See the sun rise over her skin
Dawn changes everything
Everything
And the delta sun
Burns bright and violet
Mississippi and the cotton wool heat
Sixty six a highway speaks
Of deserts dry
Of cool green valleys
Gold and silver veins
Of the shining cities
In this heartland
In this heartland soil
In this heartland
Heaven knows this is a heartland
Heartland, heartland
See the sun rise over her skin
She feels like water in my hand
Freeway like a river cuts through this land
Into the side of love
Like a burning spear
And the poison rain
Brings a flood of fear
Through the ghost ranch hills
Death valley waters
In the towers of steel
Belief goes on and on
In this heartland
In this heartland soil
In this heartland
Heaven knows this is a heartland
Heartland, heaven knows this is a heartland
Heartland, heartland
Heartland, heaven's day here in the heartland
Heart
Don't change it
See the sun rise over her skin
Dawn changes everything
Everything
And the delta sun
Burns bright and violet
Mississippi and the cotton wool heat
Sixty six a highway speaks
Of deserts dry
Of cool green valleys
Gold and silver veins
Of the shining cities
In this heartland
In this heartland soil
In this heartland
Heaven knows this is a heartland
Heartland, heartland
See the sun rise over her skin
She feels like water in my hand
Freeway like a river cuts through this land
Into the side of love
Like a burning spear
And the poison rain
Brings a flood of fear
Through the ghost ranch hills
Death valley waters
In the towers of steel
Belief goes on and on
In this heartland
In this heartland soil
In this heartland
Heaven knows this is a heartland
Heartland, heaven knows this is a heartland
Heartland, heartland
Heartland, heaven's day here in the heartland
Heart
Lyrics submitted by yuri_sucupira
Heartland Lyrics as written by Dave Evans Adam Clayton
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song played in my helmet headset as I was returning from a nightlong military mission over the North Pacific. It was one of those sorties where just about anything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. As the plane limped eastward, this song played just as the rising sun was lighting up the California coastline. There it was. USA. Home. Safe. Secure. Free. Made it. Bono nailed it with Heartland.
@acmc87 I think you're getting your u2 songs mixed up.<br /> <br /> I think the song you're thinking of is 'Bullet the Blue Sky':<br /> <br /> "And I can see those fighter planes<br /> And I can see those fighter planes"