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.
Well, last night these two bouncers
And one of 'em's alright, the other one's the scary one
His way or no way, totalitarian
He's got no time for your looking or breathing
How he don't want you to, so step out the queue
He makes examples of you and there's nowt you can say
Behind they go through to the bit where you pay
And you realize then that it's finally the time
To walk back past ten-thousand eyes in the line
And you can swap jumpers and make another move
Instilled in your brain, you've got something to prove
To all the smirking faces and the boys in black
Why can't they be pleasant? Why can't they have a laugh?
He's got his hand in your chest, he wants to give you a duff
Well, secretly I think they want you all to kick off
They want arms flying everywhere and bottles as well
It's just something to talk about, a story to tell, yeah
Well, I'm so glad they turned us all away
We'll put it down to fate
I said a thousand million things
That I could never say this morning
Got too deep, but how deep is too deep?
Well, this town's a different town today
Said, this town's a different town to what it was last night
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday
And that girl's a different girl today
Said, that girl's a different girl to her you kissed last night
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday
Of course not
Well, I'm so glad they turned us all away
We'll put it down to fate
I thought a thousand million things
That I could never think this morning
Got too deep, but how deep is too deep?
Last night, what we talked about
It made so much sense
But now the haze has ascended
It don't make no sense anymore
Said, last night, what we talked about
It made so much sense
But now the haze has ascended
It don't make no sense anymore, oh
Da-da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
And one of 'em's alright, the other one's the scary one
His way or no way, totalitarian
He's got no time for your looking or breathing
How he don't want you to, so step out the queue
He makes examples of you and there's nowt you can say
Behind they go through to the bit where you pay
And you realize then that it's finally the time
To walk back past ten-thousand eyes in the line
And you can swap jumpers and make another move
Instilled in your brain, you've got something to prove
To all the smirking faces and the boys in black
Why can't they be pleasant? Why can't they have a laugh?
He's got his hand in your chest, he wants to give you a duff
Well, secretly I think they want you all to kick off
They want arms flying everywhere and bottles as well
It's just something to talk about, a story to tell, yeah
Well, I'm so glad they turned us all away
We'll put it down to fate
I said a thousand million things
That I could never say this morning
Got too deep, but how deep is too deep?
Well, this town's a different town today
Said, this town's a different town to what it was last night
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday
And that girl's a different girl today
Said, that girl's a different girl to her you kissed last night
You couldn't have done that on a Sunday
Of course not
Well, I'm so glad they turned us all away
We'll put it down to fate
I thought a thousand million things
That I could never think this morning
Got too deep, but how deep is too deep?
Last night, what we talked about
It made so much sense
But now the haze has ascended
It don't make no sense anymore
Said, last night, what we talked about
It made so much sense
But now the haze has ascended
It don't make no sense anymore, oh
Da-da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
Lyrics submitted by trigger_hippie, edited by llnnss, alexgaskaaarth, frozy2000
From The Ritz To The Rubble Lyrics as written by Alex Turner
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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It's about a night out. The first half is about Hitler-esque bouncers who let their "power" go their head. The second half is about getting drunk and remembering what you did in the morning.
Actually, i think it's about this guy who tries to get inside a club by skipping to the front of the line, i imagine, but the bouncers(guys who prevent troublemakers) didnt let him inside to make an example of him and due to the embarrasment( walk past ten thousand eyes in the light) of walking back to the beginning of the line is too much, so he swaps jumpers( changes clothes probably to trick them) and becomes completely determined (instilled in you brain) because he wants to prove to all the smirking faces and boys in black( smirking faces=people in line boys in black=bouncers since they typically where black tuxes in exclusive clubs) that he will get his way, and typically since they are embarrasing him so bad, they probably want to start a fight just for an adventure. Got too deep, but how deep is too deep, probably means that he either is still debating if he should just turn back, since he still probably can, or continue to see if he can still go further. "Im glad they turned us all down...fate" probably means he's glad they didnt let him in(he's probably being stubborn and says the opposite of what he means-i think he means that he'll win anyways so he's glad they didnt let him in so lets leave it to "fate"- just pure stubbornness) The next part seems less ambiguous and probably means he either got inside the club or got drunk someplace else with some girl, and hit it off to his inconvenience since what he told her was just part of his drunken venture(since the haze has ascended-when you are drunk you have less control and have less judgement skills than if you were on drugs , so this probably means he was drunk). Its probably sunday, and the day this all happened was either saturday, or sunday has a certain event that i dont know of that entails not doing such stupid things and getting drunk.
When i listened to this song i didn't think of heroin at all.
I just think he is decsribing a night out on the town. He goes out gets really pissed and then the next morning he is reflecting on how differently he behaved in comparison to how he would normally. He realises how events would have been different and conversations may have never happened were he sober.
'This town's a different town today This town's a different town to what it was last night You couldn't have done that on a Sunday'
This is sooo true!!
I'm sorry but this song is just stunning. People might think 'oh he's just talking about going out.' but try writing lyrics about that without sounding like a ponce, very hard to do and Alex Turner nails it every time
So what do the lyrics mean? If he's not "just talking about going out" why not explain it to us. (I for one have no clue about these lyrics:)
raptor trax 'Got too deep, but how deep is too deep' I think this refers to that when you're drunk you will say things to a girl that you wouldn't when your sober, but how deep is too deep? i.e. It's probably all for the best as drink tells the truth.
"swap jumpers and make another move" can anyone tell me what is the meaning of that phrase?
Heres my interpretation: Hes talking about how he was just kicked out of the line for getting into a club and the bouncers are making fun of him and now hes embarassed as everyone else watched him get kicked out of the line into the club.<br /> <br /> "So step out the queue<br /> He makes examples of you<br /> And there's nowt you can say<br /> Behind they go through to the bit where you pay<br /> And you realise then that it's finally the time<br /> To walk back past ten thousand eyes in the line"<br /> <br /> Finally he says "And you can swap jumpers and make another move" which I believe is referring to jumpsuits- basically its saying "you can switch outfits (jumpsuits) and try again" so he can get into the club by trying to trick the bouncers with your new appearance.<br />
Sometimes when you don't get into clubs you swap jumpers with another person and cue up to get back in the club in hope that the bouncers won't recognise you so I think that's what he's talking about here
@degas <br /> jumper is slang for sweater in the UK. He just means switching something you're wearing (probably with someone else) and then trying to get past the bouncer.
first comment for an amazing song by an amazing band :D
this is such a god damn catchy song, about such a real life subject, this band is genius. no need to say its meaning it is very obvious. what a song
what coroar said
I was sort of joking about the heroin. There isn't much to dissect in this song, it's all there.
i bet you were mate. it is about a night out. the bastard bouncers, the getting drunk, it not making any sense in the morning. its soooo obvious. add me potts12@hotmail.com cheers xxx
this is such an awesome song! the beginning is brilliant! arctic monkeys rock!!!!!!!