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.
I got up feeling so down
I got off being sold out
I've kept the movie rolling
But the story's getting old now, oh yeah
I just looked in the mirror
And things aren't looking so good
I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota, oh yeah
(So now you know) who gets mystified
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Hey, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
Oh yeah
Yeah
Someone let the dogs out
They'll show you where the truth is
The grass is always greener
Where the dogs are shitting, oh yeah
Well, I'm feeling that I'm sober
Even though I'm drinking
Well, I can't get any lower
Still I feel I'm sinking
(So now you know) who gets mystified
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
Oh yeah, ooh
Outshined, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Oh, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
And yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Oh, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling
Outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
I got off being sold out
I've kept the movie rolling
But the story's getting old now, oh yeah
I just looked in the mirror
And things aren't looking so good
I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota, oh yeah
(So now you know) who gets mystified
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Hey, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
Oh yeah
Yeah
Someone let the dogs out
They'll show you where the truth is
The grass is always greener
Where the dogs are shitting, oh yeah
Well, I'm feeling that I'm sober
Even though I'm drinking
Well, I can't get any lower
Still I feel I'm sinking
(So now you know) who gets mystified
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
Oh yeah, ooh
Outshined, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh
(So now you know) who gets mystified
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
Yeah, it gives me butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Oh, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling
Show me the power child
I'd like to say
That I'm down on my knees today
And yeah, it gives me the butterflies, gives me away
'Til I'm up on my feet again
Oh, I'm feeling
Oh, I'm feeling
Outshined, outshined, outshined, outshined
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Literally, Outshined means someone is shining brighter than you... Didn't this come out around the time Pearl Jam started to take off?