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.
Danny is lonely 'cause Mary's in India now
She said she'd call but that was three weeks ago
She left all her things well, her books and her letters from him
And as the sun rises on Mary it sets on him
Just dance, just drink and just see the things
I'll probably never get a chance to see
Danny's not eating, he's drinking and sleeping in
I saw him last night at a party, he's definitely thin
He says he's happy, he looked pretty good but I think
That as the sun rises on Mary, it sets on him
And just dance, and just drink and just see the things
I'll probably never get a chance to see
Danny came over last night and I cooked for him
We talked about you Mary and how much we loved you still
He told me he's packed up your books and your letters and things
And as the sun sets on Mary, it's rising on him
And we danced and we drank and I've seen some things
You probably never got a chance to see
Don't worry Mary, 'cause I'm taking care of Danny
And he's taking care of me
She said she'd call but that was three weeks ago
She left all her things well, her books and her letters from him
And as the sun rises on Mary it sets on him
Just dance, just drink and just see the things
I'll probably never get a chance to see
Danny's not eating, he's drinking and sleeping in
I saw him last night at a party, he's definitely thin
He says he's happy, he looked pretty good but I think
That as the sun rises on Mary, it sets on him
And just dance, and just drink and just see the things
I'll probably never get a chance to see
Danny came over last night and I cooked for him
We talked about you Mary and how much we loved you still
He told me he's packed up your books and your letters and things
And as the sun sets on Mary, it's rising on him
And we danced and we drank and I've seen some things
You probably never got a chance to see
Don't worry Mary, 'cause I'm taking care of Danny
And he's taking care of me
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THis song is so unique, I love it. Dido tells a story of her two friends who were in a relationship at one time, Mary and Danny. Mary leaves Danny (for some unknown reason) and moves to India, probably for some type of journey. She leaves Danny behind lonley and mourning her, for some reason I don't think Mary really cares. Dido see her friend Danny around here and there and eventually invites him over for dinner. They laugh and play and talk about how great of a person Mary is. But, Dido starts to see something beautiful and attractive in Danny that draws her to him. She probably cannot leave Danny's side and she can't figure out for the life of her how Mary could. The same attraction Dido is seeing in Danny, Mary is seeing in her life's journey, which is the reason why shel left Danny in the first place. She tells Mary not to worry about Danny, because she is taking care of Danny and he is taking care of her! Insuating that they are sleeping together or together in some closer than friendship kind of way. I love this story telling song!!!
Dido explains it in the new live DVD. Her best friend is Mary, and she went to India. Dido started writing this song because she missed Mary, but then the song just started to write itself. She said it is not a true story, and if it was she would be a total bitch. So yeah, I think Smiley75220 got it right. She sees Danny is lonely when Mary is in India and they start to get closer through their love for Mary, and one thing leads to another...
I have heard her explain live this song and she did mention her friend Mary and that this song became a joke between them. She also said that she would never do any of this and it would make her a bitch.
hmm, midnight angel's interpretation is interesting but i dont think intended by the song writer. this song reminds me of nicolas evan's the loop. where the girl's long term boyfriend goes to Africa or somewhere to do charity work and gets really passionate about it so he stays for longer, he stops writing to her and a long time later writes to tell her he has met and married someone else. I think that something similar has happened here, Mary has gone away and discovered a life she prefers to danny, perhaps she already knew she was leaving him for good when she made the plans to go. The singer has known both of them for years and has been a close friend of the couples but has always harboured slight feelings for danny she did not admit to. when mary leaves these feelings come to the fore as she is left to look after danny and comfort him. it makes sense that best friends turn to each other in the absence of one they loved. i dont think they are betraying mary, she betrayed them and she's not going to come back. i like this song because it brings out the maternal in me - lol.
When I first heard this song and didn't know all the lyrics I thought Mary had died. I pictured Danny and Dido looking back, remembering her well and helping each other get over the loss. If they fall in love, great! They would gain something positive from her death. I loved this song. After listening a few more times and reading the lyrics I realized that she had just gone off to India, and, while Dido obviously thinks well of Mary, she is still going to hook up with her boyfriend while she is gone! Things will definately be awkward when Mary gets back. I don't love the song as much as I used to...
I agree. First time I heard it I figured Mary died too....and they were reminiscing, and both trying to move on with their lives despite the grief, then found solace/comfort in each other.
Wow, I've been mishearing this song since I first heard it. I was convinced that 'Danny' was 'Daddy' for years, and thought that Mary and Dido's persona were sisters, with Mary being the younger sister who's just left her parents' (or, presumably, her single or widowed dad's) home to go travelling in India and doesn't call for a while, and her father misses her and can't get used to not having any daughters still in the house with him. Dido's persona consoles him and reminds him that she's still there for him while Mary's away on her journeys, and eventually he's able to come to terms with the fact that Mary's grown up and moved on.
But even with it being about Danny and not Daddy, I don't detect any ill will between any of the characters at all in this song, and I don't get the feeling that Mary didn't care about Danny. If they were romantically involved, I get the impression that it was a good breakup that was simply the result of Mary needing to move on and not wanting either of them to be tied down to the other while they're apart. But I don't think the song explicity states that that's the case- Danny could be a boyfriend, or he could be a friend or a housemate who misses Mary. I also don't think it necessarily implies anything sexual between Dido's persona and Danny (though that could be the result of another mishearing- Dido pronounces 'see' and 'say' in very similar ways)- just that she helps him to recover from his depression after Mary's departure. Sex may very well be a part of that, but I don't think it necessarily has to be understood that way, and it certainly isn't the only element.
Overall, I think there's something very mellow, happy and calming about this song. It gives the impression that Dido's persona and Danny aren't doing anything that Mary wouldn't smile at.
I love this song as well. The story is told very well and Dido's voice captures the feelings she is trying convey very well.
Great Song, one of my favorites.
I can't agrre with you, midnight_angel, I think the story is really, what she's telling and I can't imagine, that Danny means Jack daniels, and that Dido becomes an alcoholic herself in the end.. no sorry, really not..
sorry midnight_angel, there's a limit to how deeply you can interpret a song, i think this song can't really be as deep as the alcoholism thing.
Who said you can't interpret a song that deeply? You can and I can see midnight_angel's interpretation... personifying Jack Daniels is clever, I think. Though the one part about the song, midnight_angel, that I'd like to see your take on is when Dido's cooking for "Danny"... o.o I don't think drinks ingest food, lol
@charish2k1 Or pack up books and letters...
The correct lyrics are:
"Danny's not eating, he's drinking and sleeping in. I saw him last night at the party, he's definitely thin He says he's happy, he looked pretty good"
etc. Sorry and all, The grammar in this really annoys me :)
I'm analysing this song for an assignment right now. I'm just going with the whole 'love-story' thing, but did anyone else think that there's a possibility that Mary and Danny are siblings or just friends? I dunno.
Dido is a genious.