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.
A storm rolls in from the sea
Covering the land with black thunder clouds
Rain whips the ground at their feet
As they come ashore in this foreign land
Thunder breaks the silence
Of five hundred men assembled on shore
Gazing through the misty rain
At the mountain not a mile away
So dark and silent it stands there
The mighty Amon Amarth
Reaching for the cloud cloaked skies
So grim and fearful in might
With the wind in their backs they start walking
Decisive men of the north
They stride through this darkened land
With only Mount Doom in their sight
The closer they get to the mountain
The clearer their eyes can see
A forest of one thousand spears awaiting
Awaiting the battle that will be
A cry of war emerges
Echoes over the field
Warriors riding like wolves of the snow
Boldly charging the enemy lines
With weapons so fearsome and sharp in their hands
And shields of oak wood and steel
They slit open stomachs and split skulls to the jaw
Intestines cover the field
The defenders are weak in this brutal war
The northmen have power and guts
A bloodshed like no one has seen here before
None can escape their cuts
Arrows with fire fly through the air
Torching houses and shields
The vikings can feel victory is near
As the enemy headlessly flees
A gust of wind blows in from the north
Clearing the clouds away
As twilight falls and the stars come forth
And the seawolves return to the bay
Corpses lie scattered all over the field
For the ravens to pick as they please
The mountain is now left there behind
As they sail with the first morning breeze
Covering the land with black thunder clouds
Rain whips the ground at their feet
As they come ashore in this foreign land
Thunder breaks the silence
Of five hundred men assembled on shore
Gazing through the misty rain
At the mountain not a mile away
So dark and silent it stands there
The mighty Amon Amarth
Reaching for the cloud cloaked skies
So grim and fearful in might
With the wind in their backs they start walking
Decisive men of the north
They stride through this darkened land
With only Mount Doom in their sight
The closer they get to the mountain
The clearer their eyes can see
A forest of one thousand spears awaiting
Awaiting the battle that will be
A cry of war emerges
Echoes over the field
Warriors riding like wolves of the snow
Boldly charging the enemy lines
With weapons so fearsome and sharp in their hands
And shields of oak wood and steel
They slit open stomachs and split skulls to the jaw
Intestines cover the field
The defenders are weak in this brutal war
The northmen have power and guts
A bloodshed like no one has seen here before
None can escape their cuts
Arrows with fire fly through the air
Torching houses and shields
The vikings can feel victory is near
As the enemy headlessly flees
A gust of wind blows in from the north
Clearing the clouds away
As twilight falls and the stars come forth
And the seawolves return to the bay
Corpses lie scattered all over the field
For the ravens to pick as they please
The mountain is now left there behind
As they sail with the first morning breeze
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!
lol @ RoC well done xD...and to octorbersnackbar: I look like any other "standard" person as you would say, but i listen to heavy/black/death/thrash metal etc. i also listen to techno and classical? i love the lyric style and the playing style even more, heavy metal doesn't over dramatize (most of the time) real life values like main stream music people who are looking to make it big and then quit writing intelligent music... Yes a lot of heavy metal uses mythology based ways of writing lyrics, but any smart person can figure out the means.... so go back to your main stream radio until you gain some common sense.