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.
Seen the troubles and the evils of this world
I've seen the stretches between godliness and sin
I've had the promise and confessions of true faith
And the hypocrisy that always lies within
And they left it for you - all of this for you
And they left it for you - all of this for you
I've seen the products and the other world of waste
I've seen the colour of corruption deep within
I've seen them lose themselves in dignity and taste
To see in black and white and through to black again
And they left it for you - all of this for you
And they left it for you - all of this for you
And they left it for you - all of this for you
And they left it for you - everything for you
I've seen the troubles and the evils of this world
I've seen the ones who can succeed but always lose
I've seen what's left of poor technology and work
And watched them dying as they leave their ship of fools
And they left it for you - all of this for you
And they left it for you - all of this for you
I've seen the stretches between godliness and sin
I've had the promise and confessions of true faith
And the hypocrisy that always lies within
And they left it for you - all of this for you
And they left it for you - all of this for you
I've seen the products and the other world of waste
I've seen the colour of corruption deep within
I've seen them lose themselves in dignity and taste
To see in black and white and through to black again
And they left it for you - all of this for you
And they left it for you - all of this for you
And they left it for you - all of this for you
And they left it for you - everything for you
I've seen the troubles and the evils of this world
I've seen the ones who can succeed but always lose
I've seen what's left of poor technology and work
And watched them dying as they leave their ship of fools
And they left it for you - all of this for you
And they left it for you - all of this for you
Lyrics submitted by Brutin
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This and Atmosphere have to be my two favourite Joy Division songs.
The main attack of this song seems to be against mass religion. 'promise of cofessions and true faith' He can already see the difference between godliness and sin without the church, and all their promises really offer is of hypocrisy. But aswell as religion, it also seems to take the usual Joy Division pot shots at the technological industrial age and such. 'the products and the other world of waste'
Perhaps with the last verse line 'watched them dying as they leave their ship of fools', he's trying to tie them together. That people live within this technological, industrial and seemingly aimless world, which corrupt religion can't give a direction to, it's a 'ship of fools.' Perhaps you could read something into them dying as leave it, rather than leave it as they're dying? Do they need it to live?