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.
Roses in the hospital,
Try to pull my fingernails out,
Roses in the hospital,
I want to cling to something soft,
Roses in the hospital,
Progressing like a constant war,
Roses in the hospital,
There's no one to feel ashamed for,
All we wanted was a home,
Now we are so strung out we wanna own,
Like a leaf in the autumn breeze,
Like a flood in January,
We don't want your fucking love,
Roses in the hospital,
Stub cigarettes out on my arm,
Roses in the hospital,
Want to feel something of value,
Roses in the hospital,
Nothing really makes me happy,
Roses in the hospital,
Heroin is just too trendy,
All we wanted was a home,
Now we are so strung out we wanna own,
Like a leaf in the autumn breeze,
Like a flood in January,
We don't want your fucking love,
Roses in the hospital,
This century achieved so much,
Roses in the hospital,
To make a voice no voice at all,
Roses in the hospital,
Flowers cannot express the loss,
Roses in the hospital,
Torn reflections of burnt out trash,
Of burnt out trash,
Forever ever delayed,
Forever ever delayed,
Forever,
Forever,
Forever ever delayed,
Indepencence is a game,
Forever ever delayed,
Credibility, I'm yawning,
Forever,
Forever,
(Rudi Rudi Rudi Rudi Rudi Rudi Rudi Rudi gonna fail)
Forever ever delayed,
Forever delayed,
Forever,
Forever,
Forever delayed,
The west scratches onto my skin,
Forever delayed,
Contagious like a sun tan,
We never felt any sun, any sun,
Rudi Rudi Rudi gonna fail,
Try to pull my fingernails out,
Roses in the hospital,
I want to cling to something soft,
Roses in the hospital,
Progressing like a constant war,
Roses in the hospital,
There's no one to feel ashamed for,
All we wanted was a home,
Now we are so strung out we wanna own,
Like a leaf in the autumn breeze,
Like a flood in January,
We don't want your fucking love,
Roses in the hospital,
Stub cigarettes out on my arm,
Roses in the hospital,
Want to feel something of value,
Roses in the hospital,
Nothing really makes me happy,
Roses in the hospital,
Heroin is just too trendy,
All we wanted was a home,
Now we are so strung out we wanna own,
Like a leaf in the autumn breeze,
Like a flood in January,
We don't want your fucking love,
Roses in the hospital,
This century achieved so much,
Roses in the hospital,
To make a voice no voice at all,
Roses in the hospital,
Flowers cannot express the loss,
Roses in the hospital,
Torn reflections of burnt out trash,
Of burnt out trash,
Forever ever delayed,
Forever ever delayed,
Forever,
Forever,
Forever ever delayed,
Indepencence is a game,
Forever ever delayed,
Credibility, I'm yawning,
Forever,
Forever,
(Rudi Rudi Rudi Rudi Rudi Rudi Rudi Rudi gonna fail)
Forever ever delayed,
Forever delayed,
Forever,
Forever,
Forever delayed,
The west scratches onto my skin,
Forever delayed,
Contagious like a sun tan,
We never felt any sun, any sun,
Rudi Rudi Rudi gonna fail,
Lyrics submitted by ShiverForMe
Roses in the Hospital Lyrics as written by Nicholas Jones James Bradfield
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
"It's just about the idea of something beautiful in a decaying place. It's about people who hurt themselves in order to concentrate, or just to feel something." (Richey James)