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.
When I wake up, well, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out, yeah, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
If I get drunk, well, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you
And if I haver, yeah, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's haverin' to you
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
When I'm working, yes, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you
And when the money comes in for the work I do
I'll pass almost every penny on to you
When I come home (when I come home), oh, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you
And if I grow old, well, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da
When I'm lonely, well, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you
And when I'm dreaming, well, I know I'm gonna dream
I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you
When I go out (when I go out), well, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
And when I come home (when I come home), yes, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home with you
I'm gonna be the man who's coming home with you
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da (yeah)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da
And I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out, yeah, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
If I get drunk, well, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you
And if I haver, yeah, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's haverin' to you
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
When I'm working, yes, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you
And when the money comes in for the work I do
I'll pass almost every penny on to you
When I come home (when I come home), oh, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you
And if I grow old, well, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da
When I'm lonely, well, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you
And when I'm dreaming, well, I know I'm gonna dream
I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you
When I go out (when I go out), well, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
And when I come home (when I come home), yes, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home with you
I'm gonna be the man who's coming home with you
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da (yeah)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da, da da (da-da, da da)
Da-da-da dun, da-da-lun, da-da-lun, da-da-la da-da
And I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
Lyrics submitted by bambi3k, edited by [delete me], halloire, aaron01
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) Lyrics as written by Craig M. Reid Charles S. Reid
Lyrics © The Administration MP, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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This song makes me SO PROUD to be SCOTISH!!! whenever it comes on at our shite school parties everybody in the whole hall dives out of their seats and jumps up and down screaming it shamelessly. Its always the highlight of the night!!!
hahahaha same! :D