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.
Seems like only yesterday
Life belonged to runaways
Nothin' here to see
No looking back
Every sound monotone
Every color monochrome
Light began to fade
Into the black
Such a simple animal
Sterilized with alcohol
I could hardly
Feel me anymore
Desperate and meaningless
All filled up with emptiness
Felt like everything
Was said and done
I lay there in the dark
And I close my eyes
You saved me the day
You came alive
Still, I tried to find my way
Spinnin' hours into days
Burnin' like a flame
Behind my eyes
Drown it out
Drink it in
Crown the king of sufferin'
Prisoner, slave to the disguise
Disappear the only thing
Bittersweet surrenderin'
Knew that it was time
To say goodbye
And I lay there in the dark
And I close my eyes
You saved me the day
You came alive
No reason left
Me to survive
You saved me
The day you came alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
I lay there in the dark
And I close my eyes
You saved me the day
You came alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Nothin' more to give
I can finally live
Come alive
Your life into me
I can finally breathe
Come alive
I lay me down in the dark (come alive, come alive, come alive)
Open my eyes (come alive, come alive, come alive, come alive, come alive)
You saved me (come alive, come alive, come alive, come alive)
The day you came alive (come alive, come alive, come alive, come alive)
(come alive, come alive)
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Life belonged to runaways
Nothin' here to see
No looking back
Every sound monotone
Every color monochrome
Light began to fade
Into the black
Such a simple animal
Sterilized with alcohol
I could hardly
Feel me anymore
Desperate and meaningless
All filled up with emptiness
Felt like everything
Was said and done
I lay there in the dark
And I close my eyes
You saved me the day
You came alive
Still, I tried to find my way
Spinnin' hours into days
Burnin' like a flame
Behind my eyes
Drown it out
Drink it in
Crown the king of sufferin'
Prisoner, slave to the disguise
Disappear the only thing
Bittersweet surrenderin'
Knew that it was time
To say goodbye
And I lay there in the dark
And I close my eyes
You saved me the day
You came alive
No reason left
Me to survive
You saved me
The day you came alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
I lay there in the dark
And I close my eyes
You saved me the day
You came alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Nothin' more to give
I can finally live
Come alive
Your life into me
I can finally breathe
Come alive
I lay me down in the dark (come alive, come alive, come alive)
Open my eyes (come alive, come alive, come alive, come alive, come alive)
You saved me (come alive, come alive, come alive, come alive)
The day you came alive (come alive, come alive, come alive, come alive)
(come alive, come alive)
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Come alive
Lyrics submitted by risefromtheashes
Come Alive Lyrics as written by Taylor Hawkins David Eric Grohl
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I agree that it's about having children. It seems that way, anyway. "You save me the day you came alive" just sounds like the birth of a child.
I don't think it's about the joys of having a child but I can see how it relates to the song itself. To me, I think it's about someone look back on his or her life and realising how much they've wasted and that they haven't lived their life at all. The first stanza is filled with powerful sensory imagery and each line ...with "mono", no looking back, it's like they were restricted and limited by only one choice in their life, they weren't getting anywhere. All their decisions and actions led them to the same destination at the end of their journey. "Monochrome" suggesting how black and white their world was and "monotone" suggesting lack of emotion hence emphasising a lack of life. They felt like they had nothing to live for and they took to drinking booze. Then they consumed themselves with despair when "I lay there in the dark and I close my eyes". Then someone or something that was probably in the same situation as him in the dark like himself probably showed them that their life wasn't just black and white and didn't lack of colour, and it allowed them to 'come alive'. This gave them inspiration to change themselves and they too began to ‘come alive’ as well and thus they began to feel compared to when "I could hardly feel me anymore", they weren't in touch with their senses. Senses that made them alive. I dunno, but that's how I interpret it unless someone can convince me otherwise or tell me word for word what Grohl meant when he wrote this song.
OMFG!!!!
WHY MUST EVERYONE THINK THAT EVERY FOO FIGHTER SONGS ARE ABOUT NIRVANA OR 'GOD' !!!!!!!!!
Not saying im Atheist or any of that crap...but cmon people, be creative and not typical
One of the best on the album! Excellent built up. Reminds me of old style grundge but not so 90s. Another classic!
Great song... classic FF... and a little more
Loving this song
it's about having a kid and the positive changes that come along with it. at least that's what it means to me.
"Every song monotone"
"Every song monotone" - pretty sure it's "Every sound monotone"
Also:
"Lay me down in the dark Open my eyes"
Should be
"I lay there in the dark Open my eyes"