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.
Dear mama, set me free
Hey mama, let me be
Mama, watch me run
Mama, i wanna have some fun (yeah)
Hey mama, let me down
Mama i want to go to town
If you want me to stick around
I want to give em some slack
I’m gonna hear
The woman yet never come back
If you want me to stick around you’ve got to cut me some slack
I want to hear the woman yet never come back
Wooo, wooo, wooo, woo
Mama, let me be
Mama set me free
Mama watch me run
Mama watch me run
Oh, set me free
Set me free
Set me free
Hey mama, let me be
Mama, watch me run
Mama, i wanna have some fun (yeah)
Hey mama, let me down
Mama i want to go to town
If you want me to stick around
I want to give em some slack
I’m gonna hear
The woman yet never come back
If you want me to stick around you’ve got to cut me some slack
I want to hear the woman yet never come back
Wooo, wooo, wooo, woo
Mama, let me be
Mama set me free
Mama watch me run
Mama watch me run
Oh, set me free
Set me free
Set me free
Lyrics submitted by m_bianchini
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Sir Paul McCartney? Fronting Nirvana? I think Kurt would be beaming. Is there anyone out there with a better Little Richard howl than Paul? This song just makes me happy. Well played, Dave.
The guy is asking his mother to cut him some slack, in other words, to give him some personal space. But, the parts where he says, "Mama, watch me run, Mama, I wanna have some fun", seem to show that his mother is still controlling and unrelenting to his request.
Also, the part where he says, "I want to hear the woman yet never come back", shows that he has decided to not go back to the same situation his mom has created for him, that of a controlling environment, once he runs away. It is a typical rebel song.