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.
You always won every time you placed a bet
You're still damn good, no one's gotten to you yet
Every time they were sure they had you caught
You were quicker than they thought
You'd just turn your back and walk
You always said the cards would never do you wrong
The trick you said, was never play the game too long
A gambler's share, the only risk that you would take
The only loss you could forsake
The only bluff you couldn't fake
And you're still the same
I caught up with you yesterday (still the same, still the same)
Moving game to game
No one standing in your way
Turning on the charm
Long enough to get you by (still the same, still the same)
You're still the same
You still aim high
(Still the same, still the same)
(Still the same, still the same)
There you stood
Everybody watched you play
I just turned and walked away
I had nothing left to say
'Cause you're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
You're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Moving game to game (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Some things never change (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Oh, you're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
You're still damn good, no one's gotten to you yet
Every time they were sure they had you caught
You were quicker than they thought
You'd just turn your back and walk
You always said the cards would never do you wrong
The trick you said, was never play the game too long
A gambler's share, the only risk that you would take
The only loss you could forsake
The only bluff you couldn't fake
And you're still the same
I caught up with you yesterday (still the same, still the same)
Moving game to game
No one standing in your way
Turning on the charm
Long enough to get you by (still the same, still the same)
You're still the same
You still aim high
(Still the same, still the same)
(Still the same, still the same)
There you stood
Everybody watched you play
I just turned and walked away
I had nothing left to say
'Cause you're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
You're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Moving game to game (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Some things never change (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Oh, you're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
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It's interesting to see all the comments going back five years about this song. I had always thought it was probably his dad, and obviously a chronic gambler. Anyone whose known one will know they're ALWAYS 'still the same'. Then i started reading all the others posts and there were so many about it being a metaphor for a girl i started to doubt myself. I was then happy to see the post by "moltremare" on the 30th June 09....
I know, it was funny when I read that about Seger saying in an interview that the song was about his dad when part of the chorus (not shown here) says "Baby, babe you're still the same". Just doesn't fit with his DAD to me... =) Maybe when he wrote it, he was thinking of his father, but added the reference to the girl cause he wanted us to think of it that way. Who knows?!?
Interesting! so he said it was about his father. . . from the wryly written and very intimate lyric, my lady and I had thought the song might have even possibly been about Bob himself.