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.
Tell me how you wanna be portrayed, now
You can have it all, you know that you can have it all
And I love you, yeah, I love you
Donatello, Frida Kahlo, Holbein
You can have it all, you know that you can have it all
And I love you, yeah I love you
Now paint me a picture
Or draw yourself drawing a piece of paper with pencil
‘Cause you can’t afford to misrepresent me
I want an imitation of reality
Gather oil, kings, and other things
That you know my good
You might tell me what colors
Do you think would bring out my good nature
The establishments good nature
I'm the aristocracy
Now listen to me, yeah,
Your whores come and go to sit with me
I wanna be seen in a hundred years
As you see me now, so don’t hesitate
Paint my portrait
So paint me now
You didn’t want to know, you didn’t want to see
You threw it in a fire, you threw it in a fire
And then you took my eyes, so I could never be
The painter of your boy
And then I go:
King for king, oh, king, bring the guillotine
You didn’t want to know, you didn’t want to see
You threw it in a fire, you threw it in a fire
And then you took my eyes, so I could never be
The painter of your boy
And then I go:
King for king, oh, king, bring the guillotine
Bring the guillotine
You can have it all, you know that you can have it all
And I love you, yeah, I love you
Donatello, Frida Kahlo, Holbein
You can have it all, you know that you can have it all
And I love you, yeah I love you
Now paint me a picture
Or draw yourself drawing a piece of paper with pencil
‘Cause you can’t afford to misrepresent me
I want an imitation of reality
Gather oil, kings, and other things
That you know my good
You might tell me what colors
Do you think would bring out my good nature
The establishments good nature
I'm the aristocracy
Now listen to me, yeah,
Your whores come and go to sit with me
I wanna be seen in a hundred years
As you see me now, so don’t hesitate
Paint my portrait
So paint me now
You didn’t want to know, you didn’t want to see
You threw it in a fire, you threw it in a fire
And then you took my eyes, so I could never be
The painter of your boy
And then I go:
King for king, oh, king, bring the guillotine
You didn’t want to know, you didn’t want to see
You threw it in a fire, you threw it in a fire
And then you took my eyes, so I could never be
The painter of your boy
And then I go:
King for king, oh, king, bring the guillotine
Bring the guillotine
Lyrics submitted by jellyfishs, edited by jrink, namenottaken
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I think this is about a painter who loves the king and wants to paint his portrait. When he does, the king dislikes it and takes out the painters eyes which leaves him begging for death. The first part is the painter talking to the king the middle is the king talking to the painter and the end is the painter. Where he says so I could never be the painter of your boy I think it might be so I could never be the painter of your por- like portrait.