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.
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
I'm thinking of the days,
I won't forget a single day, believe me.
I bless the light,
I bless the light that lights on you believe me.
And though you're gone,
You're with me every single day, believe me.
Days I'll remember all my life,
Days when you can't see wrong from right.
You took my life,
But then I knew that very soon you'd leave me,
But it's all right,
Now I'm not frightened of this world, believe me.
I wish today could be tomorrow,
The night is dark,
It just brings sorrow anyway.
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
I'm thinking of the days,
I won't forget a single day, believe me.
Days I'll remember all my life,
Days when you can't see wrong from right.
You took my life,
But then I knew that very soon you'd leave me,
But it's all right,
Now I'm not frightened of this world, believe me.
Days.
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
I'm thinking of the days,
I won't forget a single day, believe me.
I bless the light,
I bless the light that shines on you believe me.
And though you're gone,
You're with me every single day, believe me.
Days.
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
I'm thinking of the days,
I won't forget a single day, believe me.
I bless the light,
I bless the light that lights on you believe me.
And though you're gone,
You're with me every single day, believe me.
Days I'll remember all my life,
Days when you can't see wrong from right.
You took my life,
But then I knew that very soon you'd leave me,
But it's all right,
Now I'm not frightened of this world, believe me.
I wish today could be tomorrow,
The night is dark,
It just brings sorrow anyway.
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
I'm thinking of the days,
I won't forget a single day, believe me.
Days I'll remember all my life,
Days when you can't see wrong from right.
You took my life,
But then I knew that very soon you'd leave me,
But it's all right,
Now I'm not frightened of this world, believe me.
Days.
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
I'm thinking of the days,
I won't forget a single day, believe me.
I bless the light,
I bless the light that shines on you believe me.
And though you're gone,
You're with me every single day, believe me.
Days.
Lyrics submitted by Half Blind, edited by Hecticbushpig, gravethief13, FireClown
All of My Friends Were There Lyrics as written by Raymond Douglas Davies
Lyrics © Abkco Music Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Considering Ray Davies record as a lyricist, this song is likely to be ironic, satirising about "rockstar like problems" regarding: 1- alcoholism (the beer, the gin) 2- alienation ("But I felt so down"; "And just when I wanted no one to be there") 3- ego detached from reality (Talking about your drunk thoughts to the audience; the paranoia about what "the others" might think of you) 4- nostalgia from the days before fame (the old cafe from happier days)
All those, problems very far from the ones of the working class, regular folk, and normal englishness that Ray Davies was fond of.
Getting over stagefright?
I really like this song, the way Ray sings it makes me want to listen to it over and over. I guess we can learn not to drink too much beer in the most important days.
Davies is like over-worrying his public appearance but then he sees that you shouldn't worry about what others think about you all the time because its not always about you cause he says in the last verse "no one cared..." and its kinda like a revelation then the song ends lol
Ah the perils of one too many before doing a show. Especially bad if you're the singer and you're too drunk to string a coherent sentence together...."Uhhh yurs a sshhpeshul shlot".
And the inevitable shame spiral that follows. Until you play another show and get out of the mental rut.
Ray sings about the 'friends of friends' problem over 40 years before Facebook's "Friends of Friends" feature started causing problems :)
Some would call Ray a visionary.......
So it goes when you make an ass of yourself. As the offense ages people almost never forget, but generally they cease to care.
The more successful politicians know this fact, and rely heavily on it.