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.
Beneath the white fire of the moon
Love's wings are broken all too soon
We never learn
Hurt together, hurt alone
Don't you sometimes
Wish your heart was a heart of stone
We turn the wheel, and break the chain
Put steel to steel, and laugh at pain
We're dreamers in castle's made of sand
The road to Eden's overgrown
Don't you sometimes
Wish your heart was a heart of stone
Look at the headlines
Big crowd at the crazy house
Long cue for the joker's shoe
Ten rounds in the ring with love
Do you lose and win
Or win and lose
Sweet rain, like mercy in the night
(Lay me down, wash away the sorrow)
Caress my soul and set it right
(Lay me down, show me your tomorrow)
Summer tears, winter and the moment's flown
Don't you sometimes
Wish your heart was a heart of stone
Mercy, mercy, wish your heart was a heart of stone
Get the picture
No room for the innocent
Peak season in lonely town
Knocked out of the ring by love
Are you down and up
Or up and down
I ask the river for a sign
(In a dream, we go on together)
How long is love supposed to shine
(In a dream, diamonds are forever
But you and I, hurt together, hurt alone
Don't you sometimes
Wish you heart was a heart of stone
Mercy, mercy, wish your heart was a heart of stone
(With a heart of stone, you'll be well protected)
Don't you sometimes
Wish your heart was made of stone
(With a heart of stone, you'll be well connected)
Love's wings are broken all too soon
We never learn
Hurt together, hurt alone
Don't you sometimes
Wish your heart was a heart of stone
We turn the wheel, and break the chain
Put steel to steel, and laugh at pain
We're dreamers in castle's made of sand
The road to Eden's overgrown
Don't you sometimes
Wish your heart was a heart of stone
Look at the headlines
Big crowd at the crazy house
Long cue for the joker's shoe
Ten rounds in the ring with love
Do you lose and win
Or win and lose
Sweet rain, like mercy in the night
(Lay me down, wash away the sorrow)
Caress my soul and set it right
(Lay me down, show me your tomorrow)
Summer tears, winter and the moment's flown
Don't you sometimes
Wish your heart was a heart of stone
Mercy, mercy, wish your heart was a heart of stone
Get the picture
No room for the innocent
Peak season in lonely town
Knocked out of the ring by love
Are you down and up
Or up and down
I ask the river for a sign
(In a dream, we go on together)
How long is love supposed to shine
(In a dream, diamonds are forever
But you and I, hurt together, hurt alone
Don't you sometimes
Wish you heart was a heart of stone
Mercy, mercy, wish your heart was a heart of stone
(With a heart of stone, you'll be well protected)
Don't you sometimes
Wish your heart was made of stone
(With a heart of stone, you'll be well connected)
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Heart of Stone Lyrics as written by Thomas 'fats' Waller Alexander Hill
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
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I think the song is about taking in all the troubles of life and trying to live around them.
Wishing it wasn't possible to have your heart broken... I think it's a really cool song and very pretty...
There is a mistake in these lyrics, the last bit in parenthesis should read "With a heart of stone, love's not resurrected" -Which pretty much sums it up. The jist of the song is that it might just be better to be able to easily forget your failed love rather than be "knocked out of the ring by love".
There is so much suffering in the world. We all experience some of that suffering to at least extent, and it even hurts to watch others suffer. Cher is being a little sarcastic in some of these lyrics. She asks you if you "wish your heart was made of stone", but would you really want that? If you had a heart of stone you would not feel anything. If you did not recognize sadness you could never experience love and happiness, and you would not want to make the world a better place for others because you have a cold heart of stone. Suffering is just a part of life, but we also have good experiences, and with the use of our soft hearts we make things right.
Just watched the video to this song. It seems to be a song about despair. How many times do we put our faith and hope and trust in our significant other, we fall in love and think that maybe this time, it really will work out and last forever, or we believe strongly that a political movement we believe in really will change things for the better, and in the end, we just seem to end up with new problems, and nothing really lasts forever. There's definitely some bitterness in this song. Definitely the feeling of I've been had. Great song though, one that isn't easily forgotten!!!