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.
From the moment the lights went off
Everything had changed
Lie awake in an empty room
In my head it all feels the same
Like the taste of the day you left
It still lingers on my breath
And the dampness of tears that left
The stain where you had wept
All alone with the negligee
That still hangs off of my bed
I keep meaning to give it away
But I just leave it there instead
No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door
Three more days till I see your face
I'm afraid it's far too much
Cook a meal and fix up the place
Dial your number, hang it up
If I took you for granted
I apologize for acting tough
You're my reason for living
And there's no way I'm giving up, oh
No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door
Now, every evening is a bitter fight
And I'm eating home alone on a Friday night
And I know what your friends say
"He's just wasting your love and time."
I will never let you change your mind
No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door
No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door
Every time I wind up back at your door
I said, every time I wind up back at your door
Everything had changed
Lie awake in an empty room
In my head it all feels the same
Like the taste of the day you left
It still lingers on my breath
And the dampness of tears that left
The stain where you had wept
All alone with the negligee
That still hangs off of my bed
I keep meaning to give it away
But I just leave it there instead
No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door
Three more days till I see your face
I'm afraid it's far too much
Cook a meal and fix up the place
Dial your number, hang it up
If I took you for granted
I apologize for acting tough
You're my reason for living
And there's no way I'm giving up, oh
No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door
Now, every evening is a bitter fight
And I'm eating home alone on a Friday night
And I know what your friends say
"He's just wasting your love and time."
I will never let you change your mind
No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door
No need to cry about it
I cannot live without it
Every time I wind up back at your door
Why do you do this to me?
You penetrate right through me
Every time I wind up back at your door
Every time I wind up back at your door
I said, every time I wind up back at your door
Lyrics submitted by isupposeso
Back at Your Door Lyrics as written by Adam Noah Levine Jesse Royal Carmichael
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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!
So far, this is my favorite song off of the new album.
same here, love the beginning of it, the beat, the whole vibe.
great song. dude screwed up. but she won't let him back in. he can't forget about her. what a tune
he messes up and they brake up and ever since than everything changed and he doesnt like it. and everything leads him back to her or (her door) he doesnt want to live without her.
its a sweet song.
love the backing its sad enough without the lyrics
makes me want to do a hand clasp and a chest slap
I love this song, I love everything about it. I love the tone of Adam's voice. The who melody of the song. Everything it feels so old school to me. The meaning is pretty self explainatory.
Love, peace
Basically- despite everything that's happened, all the bad stuff- he stilll wants to be with her, to stay in love and all, as hurtful as it becomes sometimes. He still wonders how she's just plain able to do it, but he loves her and needs her.
this song is one of my favorties on the new album...it actually makes me think of a deal that i was going through with a guy. we dated for a little while...back 4 yaers ago...he broke up with me...and for a long time he was telling me through his letters that he loved me and wanted to give us another shot but when i finally come back to the state he lived in...its like he never said any of it...but yet he would always come over to my place and he was so sensual and sweet and he knew he would always end up back at my door...no matter if he was with someone or not. and now its too late for him....i get married next summer. thats just basically what i think of when i hear this song
All and all, i think it's about a couple...it got bad and one of them left, and he can't make up for it. and the "breakup" was mutual, but they were both defenseless against each other. They kind of both wanted to hang on, which is why he was allowed back at her door. I was in a situation like this, and my friends told me that he was just wasting my love and time too. Eventually, someone lets go.
so this is the best track on the album. Im digging the blues vibe to it. This songs got me all choked up. Fuck, its stellar.