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.
It takes a backwash man to sing a backwash song
Like a frying pan when the fire's gone
Driving my pig while the bear's taking pictures in the grass
In my radio smashed
And I like pianos in the evening sun
Dragging my heals 'til my day is done
Saturday night in the Captain's clothes
Tin horns blowing with my jury 'phros
Yo soy un disco cabrado
Yo tengo chicle en cerabo
I can't believe my way back when
My Cadillac pants going much to fast
Karaoke weekend at the suicide shack
Community service and I'm still the mack
Shocked my finger spicing my hand
I been spreading disease all across the land
Beautiful air-conditioned sitting in the kitchen
Wishing I was living like a hit man
Face down in the guarantees
Jaundiced marshal's getting busy with ease
Because I get down I get down
I get down all the way
Yo soy un disco cabrado
Yo tengo chicle en cerabo
Sawdust songs of the plaid bartenders
Western Unions of the country westerns
Silver foxes looking for romance
In the chain smoke Kansas flash dance ass pants
And you got the hot wax residues
You never lose in your razor blade shoes
Stealing pesos out of my brain
Hazard signs down the Alamo lanes
Radar systems using the souls
You never get caught with the wax so rotten
All my days I got the grizzly worms
Hijacked flavors that I'm flipping like birds
Yo soy un disco cabrado
Yo tengo chicle en cerabo
Who are you
I'm the enchanting wizard of rhythm
Why did you come here?
I came here to tell you about the rhythms of the universe
Like a frying pan when the fire's gone
Driving my pig while the bear's taking pictures in the grass
In my radio smashed
And I like pianos in the evening sun
Dragging my heals 'til my day is done
Saturday night in the Captain's clothes
Tin horns blowing with my jury 'phros
Yo soy un disco cabrado
Yo tengo chicle en cerabo
I can't believe my way back when
My Cadillac pants going much to fast
Karaoke weekend at the suicide shack
Community service and I'm still the mack
Shocked my finger spicing my hand
I been spreading disease all across the land
Beautiful air-conditioned sitting in the kitchen
Wishing I was living like a hit man
Face down in the guarantees
Jaundiced marshal's getting busy with ease
Because I get down I get down
I get down all the way
Yo soy un disco cabrado
Yo tengo chicle en cerabo
Sawdust songs of the plaid bartenders
Western Unions of the country westerns
Silver foxes looking for romance
In the chain smoke Kansas flash dance ass pants
And you got the hot wax residues
You never lose in your razor blade shoes
Stealing pesos out of my brain
Hazard signs down the Alamo lanes
Radar systems using the souls
You never get caught with the wax so rotten
All my days I got the grizzly worms
Hijacked flavors that I'm flipping like birds
Yo soy un disco cabrado
Yo tengo chicle en cerabo
Who are you
I'm the enchanting wizard of rhythm
Why did you come here?
I came here to tell you about the rhythms of the universe
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
I like it when Beck adds Spanish in his songs. It's cute listening to him pronounce the words. And he does it so well! :] If I said that line in my Spanish class, people wouldn't laugh because nobody at my school knows who Beck is.
which SUCKS.
word.
I love his songs with spanish in them. He's very obviously not a native speaker. He pronounces everything so.... white. Haha.
He is a "guero", after all.
i love this song.. soo weird.. don't even try to explain it... just enjoy the delicious trippiness that is Beck. who are you? i'm the enchanting wizard of rythm. why did you come here? i came here to tell you about the rythms of the universe....
Silver foxes looking for romance In the chain smoke Kansas flashdance ass pants
THE best lyric line in all of music history.
yo soy un disco quebrado! tengo chicle en mi cerebro!
I said that one time in my spanish class and everyone laughed. beck=rad
This is my favorite Beck song of all time
Ye, my fav Beck song too... awesome sample as well. Anyone know where it is from?
Some beck lyrics make sense some don't. This song is composed of the non-sensical...
The ends weird with the one girl "who are you?"... "Why did you come here?" its just weird. But i like the song hehe. All of his songs are just so perfectly random.
I am spanish- I have been listening to the Odelay album for a while and I never got the spanish line until I read the lyrics right now! He sings it so cutely.