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.
Her face is cracked from smiling
All the fears that she's been hiding
And it seems that pretty soon, everybody's gonna know
And her voice is sore from shouting
Cheering winners who are losing
And she worries if their days are few and soon they'll have to go
My, my, my, I'm so happy
I'm gonna join the band
We gonna dance and sing in celebration
We are in the promised land
She hears them talk of new ways
To protect the home she lives in
Then she wonders what it's all about when they break down the door
Her name is brown or white or black
You know her very well
You hear her cries of mercy as the winners toll the bell
My my my I'm so happy
We gonna join the band
We are gonna dance and sing in celebration
We're in the promised land
Oh, there is a train that leaves the station
Heading for your destination
But the price you pay to nowhere has increased a dollar more
Yes, it has!
And if you walk you're gonna get there
And though it takes a little longer
And when you see it in the distance you will wring your hands and moan
Oh yeah, you'll moan
Oh, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah, you'll moan, you'll moan
You're g-gone, you're g-gone, yeah-yea
You're g-gone
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my you are gone
You're gone
My, my, my
You're gonna, gonna get there, it's just a little longer
And when you see him in the distance you will wave your hand
All the fears that she's been hiding
And it seems that pretty soon, everybody's gonna know
And her voice is sore from shouting
Cheering winners who are losing
And she worries if their days are few and soon they'll have to go
My, my, my, I'm so happy
I'm gonna join the band
We gonna dance and sing in celebration
We are in the promised land
She hears them talk of new ways
To protect the home she lives in
Then she wonders what it's all about when they break down the door
Her name is brown or white or black
You know her very well
You hear her cries of mercy as the winners toll the bell
My my my I'm so happy
We gonna join the band
We are gonna dance and sing in celebration
We're in the promised land
Oh, there is a train that leaves the station
Heading for your destination
But the price you pay to nowhere has increased a dollar more
Yes, it has!
And if you walk you're gonna get there
And though it takes a little longer
And when you see it in the distance you will wring your hands and moan
Oh yeah, you'll moan
Oh, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah, you'll moan, you'll moan
You're g-gone, you're g-gone, yeah-yea
You're g-gone
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my you are gone
You're gone
My, my, my
You're gonna, gonna get there, it's just a little longer
And when you see him in the distance you will wave your hand
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"She hears them talk of new ways To protect the home she lives in,",,, maybe new laws,,, protecting her Home of the Brave and Home of the Free"?
"Then she wonders what it's all about When they break down the door. Her name is brown or white or black,",,,,, Liberty and Freedom for the "brown, white and black" people ?
"You know her very well, ",,,, Statue of Liberty or Miss Liberty
"You hear her cries of mercy As the winners toll the bell.",,,,,, the so-called "winners" might be politicians, who Liberty cries to for mercy, as they "toll the bell". Which could have been race riots at that time resulting in peoples "rights" being violated, or leading to loss of life either in American streets or in Viet Nam.
100 years above and beyond the lyrics on FM radio in 1971.