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.
Howling, crawling,
The creatures are screaming at nighttime
We'll be holding up the blades for the broken
For the fears we live today
For the moment we'll realize
That everything is dying with the rain
Don't close your eyes
The path we're seeking leads thousand miles away
Hold up the reins as we're not going to fall again
Kings without supremacy, suns without a reason to be
Over and over again
The fire will bend and strike at our command
Up where the winds cannot reach
Our kingdom will rise for the ones who believed
Feeding the Beast with our rage,
Unleashing our power
As we're marching on the way we have chosen
You will never fail again
In a moment you'll realize that everything
Will never be the same in your whole life
The creatures are screaming at nighttime
We'll be holding up the blades for the broken
For the fears we live today
For the moment we'll realize
That everything is dying with the rain
Don't close your eyes
The path we're seeking leads thousand miles away
Hold up the reins as we're not going to fall again
Kings without supremacy, suns without a reason to be
Over and over again
The fire will bend and strike at our command
Up where the winds cannot reach
Our kingdom will rise for the ones who believed
Feeding the Beast with our rage,
Unleashing our power
As we're marching on the way we have chosen
You will never fail again
In a moment you'll realize that everything
Will never be the same in your whole life
Lyrics submitted by EternalTearsOfSorrow
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I think this song is about how a kingdom will cease to remain supreme without strong leadership. Chaos results when someone who is at the helm does nothing but cluelessly abuse their power.