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.
(Hey!)
Now every cheap hood strikes a bargain with the world
Ends up making payments on a sofa or a girl
"Love 'n' hate" tattooed across the knuckles of his hands
Hands that slap his kids around 'cause they don't understand how
Death or glory becomes just another story
Death or glory becomes just another story
And every gimmick hungry yob digging gold from rock 'n' roll
Grabs the mike to tell us he'll die before he's sold
But I believe in this and it's been tested by research
He who fucks nuns will later join the church
Death or glory becomes just another story
Death or glory becomes just another story
Fear in the gun sights
They say "lie low"
You say "okay"
Don't wanna play a show
No other thinking
Was it death or glory now?
Playing the blues of kings
Sure looks better now
Death or glory, just another story
Death or glory, just another story
In every dingy basement on every dingy street
Every dragging hand clap over every dragging beat
That's just the beat of time, beat that must go on
If you've been trying for years we already heard your song
Death or glory becomes just another story
Death or glory, just another story
Gotta march a long way
Fight a long time
You got to travel over mountains
Got to travel over seas
We gonna fight your brother
We gonna fight 'til you loose
We gonna raise trouble
We gonna raise hell
We gonna fight your brother
Raise hell
Death or glory becomes just another story
Death or glory becomes just another story
Death or glory, just another story
Death or glory becomes just another story
Now every cheap hood strikes a bargain with the world
Ends up making payments on a sofa or a girl
"Love 'n' hate" tattooed across the knuckles of his hands
Hands that slap his kids around 'cause they don't understand how
Death or glory becomes just another story
Death or glory becomes just another story
And every gimmick hungry yob digging gold from rock 'n' roll
Grabs the mike to tell us he'll die before he's sold
But I believe in this and it's been tested by research
He who fucks nuns will later join the church
Death or glory becomes just another story
Death or glory becomes just another story
Fear in the gun sights
They say "lie low"
You say "okay"
Don't wanna play a show
No other thinking
Was it death or glory now?
Playing the blues of kings
Sure looks better now
Death or glory, just another story
Death or glory, just another story
In every dingy basement on every dingy street
Every dragging hand clap over every dragging beat
That's just the beat of time, beat that must go on
If you've been trying for years we already heard your song
Death or glory becomes just another story
Death or glory, just another story
Gotta march a long way
Fight a long time
You got to travel over mountains
Got to travel over seas
We gonna fight your brother
We gonna fight 'til you loose
We gonna raise trouble
We gonna raise hell
We gonna fight your brother
Raise hell
Death or glory becomes just another story
Death or glory becomes just another story
Death or glory, just another story
Death or glory becomes just another story
Lyrics submitted by aebassist, edited by Mellow_Harsher, JimmyCarlBlack
Death Or Glory Lyrics as written by Mick Jones Joe Strummer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think the whole song is mainly a satire on the fake rock n' roll scene where many people claim to be rebellious but in the end just become a part of commercial agenda and earn a lot of money. Thus why "he who fucks the nun will later join the church." "Death or glory just becomes another story" means that those people are claiming to do things about "death or glory" which seem to be really grandeur but in essence just another mundane, secular commercial agenda thus "just another story"
In detail, the first paragraph is about somebody who claims to know some "love and peace" stuff but actually is having none of it in his head. He just has such words on because he thinks it's cool while doing exactly the opposite of what the words are supposed to bring. A good example would be Mecca World Peace(Ron Artest).
The second paragraph as mentioned above is about the hypocrisy of rock n' roll. Exactly those "morally impeccable" priests are the people who have sexual scandals all year round(haven't we seen enough of it?). Thus the level of "hypocrisy" is even higher.
The third paragraph is about those who think they've been trying really hard to become rock stars etc but just keep being unheard. The lyrics are basically saying that if they are really doing hard and have talents they must long've been heard already. So after all it's still their fault and they cannot blame the world for being not famous/successful.
A pretty straightforward but brilliant song, to my interpretation
The meaning of the lyrics can be easily amplified to beyond the realm of rock n' roll.