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 lovestruck Romeo sang the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like, "You and me, babe, how about it?"
Juliet says, "Hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack"
He's underneath the window, she's singing, "Hey, la, my boyfriend's back
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that
Anyway, what you gonna do about it?"
"Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet, and you exploded into my heart
And I forget, I forget the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?"
Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame
Both dirty, both mean, yes, and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?
When you can fall for chains of silver you can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah
Now you just say "Oh, Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him"
"Juliet, when we made love, you used to cry
You said 'I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die'
There's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?"
I can't do the talks like they talk on the TV
And I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything but I'll do anything for you
I can't do anything except be in love with you
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat, the bad company
All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme
Julie, I'd do the stars with you any time
"Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said 'I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die'
There's a place for us you know the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?"
And a lovestruck Romeo, he sang the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Find a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
He says something like, "You and me, babe, how about it?"
"You and me, babe, how about it?"
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like, "You and me, babe, how about it?"
Juliet says, "Hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack"
He's underneath the window, she's singing, "Hey, la, my boyfriend's back
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that
Anyway, what you gonna do about it?"
"Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet, and you exploded into my heart
And I forget, I forget the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?"
Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame
Both dirty, both mean, yes, and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?
When you can fall for chains of silver you can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah
Now you just say "Oh, Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him"
"Juliet, when we made love, you used to cry
You said 'I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die'
There's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?"
I can't do the talks like they talk on the TV
And I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything but I'll do anything for you
I can't do anything except be in love with you
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat, the bad company
All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme
Julie, I'd do the stars with you any time
"Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said 'I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die'
There's a place for us you know the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?"
And a lovestruck Romeo, he sang the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Find a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
He says something like, "You and me, babe, how about it?"
"You and me, babe, how about it?"
Lyrics submitted by anieloo, edited by PSKITTY, queenhylia, EulaliaVox, goldentrio15, Bedelguese5, TawdryD
Romeo and Juliet Lyrics as written by Mark Knopfler
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I'd hate to burst all of your bubbles but none of you understand this song. It's actually about a relationship that starts out just the opposite of the classic Romeo and Juliet story. The two are both poor and there is nothing forbidden about their relationship. The two share a dream of one day becoming socially elite. However, "Juliet" achieves this dream and abandons "Romeo." Romeo is trying to get back with Juliet but she is now too good for him and rejects him. ("Juliet says hey it's romeo / You nearly gave me a heart attack. / He's underneath the window / She's singing hey la my boyfriend's back. / You shoudn't come around here singing up at people like that .") The line about "it was just that the time was wrong" means that they'd still be together if she wouldn't have acquired her fourtune at that time, or even at all. Kinda think of it like this: the first verse depicts the present, the second gives background information on the relationship and the third verse goes back to the present. "Come up on different streets they both were streets of shame / Both dirty both mean yes and the dream was just the same / And I dream your dream for you and now your dream is real / How can you look at me as I was just another one of your deals?" means that at one time they were both poor and he wanted the best for her more than he wanted the best for himself and when her dreams came true she left the man who helped her get there behind on the "streets of shame" and doesn't make his dreams come true as well. It's actually a little pathetic on Romeo's part because he is so in love with someone who didn't really love him, only used him until she didn't need him anymore. Just remember that Mark Knopfler never really wrote songs to convey emotions but he was more of a story teller. And while most of his songs carry a lot of emotion, you need to look into the lyrics to understand the song. Dire Straits is like a cross between Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd: long, artsy, technically efficient songs with kick-ass guitar solos mixed with folkish ballads about every day situations sung w/ rusty vocals conveying gruff emotions. Or something like that. Put these on your "to download" list, especially if you like this song: "Telegraph Road", "Sultans Of Swing", "Lions", "Tunnel Of Love", "Love Over Gold" and "News".
If you had actually read the orignal script of Romeo and Juliet, you would see why you're wrong. This song is written in Romeo's perspective when he is banished from Verona, flees to Mantua, and loses touch with Juliet, but she remains all he thinks about. He later hears from his page, Balthasar, that Juliet is going to be wedded to County Paris, and Romeo takes that as an insult that she has already moved on from him. That's the whole fuss about 'The time was just wrong... How do you think of me as one of you're deals... etc...'<br /> Also, the first verse about serenading the streets under Juliet's window is about their famous window scene when they admit they're love after they'd only just met.
I meant Balcony
I meant Balcony
@ZinbobDan @yasminatabbalon <br /> <br /> Closer attention would glean that the references are less from Romeo and Juliet, but from West Side Story. Different streets, both of shame (ie poor); (Somewhere) There's a place for us.... I feel pretty (chains' of silver, chains of gold)
@ZinbobDan This. This is the meaning I love the most. It's a dark twist from the otherwise cliched Romeo and Juliet play. Knopfler, being the genius he always was (and still is), makes this song sound so astonishingly nostalgic to everyone, because everyone has gone through this scenario.<br /> <br /> Thumbs up, @ZinbobDab. Loved the interpretation!
@ZinbobDan I'm there with you on that with MK.. It spreads to relate with so many of us. That girl we all loved so much. Where did she go and what's she doing? Does she remember our scene? Yadda yadda relate relate. It's Shakespeare's tragedy plus WSS and Bernstein would like it too. If only because he probably remembered his Juliet too. Peace
@ZinbobDan congratulations, amazing explanation, however those lines " I can't do everything but I'd do anything for you<br /> I can't do anything except be in love with you " explains at all, needless to give any extra inof. Thanks once again))<br />
@ZinbobDan possibly the worst description of this song, about a prostitute who has ran off with a wealthy punter. My bubble remains intact.