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 the devil is too busy
and death's a bit too much
they call me by name you see
for my special touch
to the gentleman i'm Miss Fortune
to the ladies i'm Sir Prise
but call me by any name
any way it's all the same
i'm the fly in your soup
i'm the pebble in your shoe
i'm the pea beneath your bead
i'm the bump on every head
i'm the peel on which you slip
i'm the pin in every hip
i'm the thorn in your side
makes you wriggle and writhe
and it's so easy when you're evil
this is the life you see
the devil tips his hat to me
i do it all because i'm evil
and i do it all for free
your tears are all the pay i'll ever need
while there's children to make sad
while there's candy to be had
while there's pockets left to pick
while there's grannies left to trip down the stairs
i'll be there
i'll be waiting round the corner
it's a game i'm glad i'm in it
cuz there's one born every minute
and it's so easy when you're evil
this is the life you see
the devil tips his hat to me
i do it all because i'm evil
and i do it all for free
your tears are all the pay i'll ever need
i pledge my allegience to all things dark
and i promise on my damned soul
to do as i am told
for beelzebub has never seen
a soldier quite like me
not only does his job but does it happily
i'm the fear that keeps you wake
i'm the shadows on the wall
i'm the monsters they become
i'm the nightmare in your skull
i'm the dagger in your back
an extra turn upon the rack
i'm the quivering of your heart
a stabbing pain, a sudden start
and it's so easy when you're evil
this is the life you see
the devil tips his hat to me
i do it all because i'm evil
and i do it all for free
your tears are all the pay i'll ever need
and i do it all for free
your tears are all the pay i'll ever need
and i do it all for free
your tears are all the pay i'll ever need
it gets so lonely being evil
what i'd do to see a smile
even for a little while
and no one loves you when you're evil
i'm lying through my teeth
your tears are all the company i need
and death's a bit too much
they call me by name you see
for my special touch
to the gentleman i'm Miss Fortune
to the ladies i'm Sir Prise
but call me by any name
any way it's all the same
i'm the fly in your soup
i'm the pebble in your shoe
i'm the pea beneath your bead
i'm the bump on every head
i'm the peel on which you slip
i'm the pin in every hip
i'm the thorn in your side
makes you wriggle and writhe
and it's so easy when you're evil
this is the life you see
the devil tips his hat to me
i do it all because i'm evil
and i do it all for free
your tears are all the pay i'll ever need
while there's children to make sad
while there's candy to be had
while there's pockets left to pick
while there's grannies left to trip down the stairs
i'll be there
i'll be waiting round the corner
it's a game i'm glad i'm in it
cuz there's one born every minute
and it's so easy when you're evil
this is the life you see
the devil tips his hat to me
i do it all because i'm evil
and i do it all for free
your tears are all the pay i'll ever need
i pledge my allegience to all things dark
and i promise on my damned soul
to do as i am told
for beelzebub has never seen
a soldier quite like me
not only does his job but does it happily
i'm the fear that keeps you wake
i'm the shadows on the wall
i'm the monsters they become
i'm the nightmare in your skull
i'm the dagger in your back
an extra turn upon the rack
i'm the quivering of your heart
a stabbing pain, a sudden start
and it's so easy when you're evil
this is the life you see
the devil tips his hat to me
i do it all because i'm evil
and i do it all for free
your tears are all the pay i'll ever need
and i do it all for free
your tears are all the pay i'll ever need
and i do it all for free
your tears are all the pay i'll ever need
it gets so lonely being evil
what i'd do to see a smile
even for a little while
and no one loves you when you're evil
i'm lying through my teeth
your tears are all the company i need
Lyrics submitted by faust
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The meaning of the song's pretty clear, but what does "an extra turn upon the rack" mean?
"The rack" is that bed-like torture device where they your feet to the bottom and tie your hands to a wheel. They turn the wheel to separate your limbs. The extra turn is to imply that he's that much of a jerk.
not that he is a jerk, or at least i think that he just wants to make you suffer that much more