Otep have since released six full-length albums featuring many session musicians including Greg Wells, Joey Jordison of Slipknot, Koichi Fukuda of Static-X, Emilie Autumn, Tony Campos of Soulfly and Asesino (ex-Static-X), and Ulrich Wild. Their first three albums, Sevas Tra, House of Secrets, and The Ascension, were released on Capitol Records. However, after the label's merging with Virgin Records, Otep, along with many other bands, were released from their contracts with Capitol in 2007. Two years later, Otep signed with Victory Records and released their fourth album, Smash the Control Machine, which included a reunion with former members Mark "Moke" Bistany on drums and Rob Patterson on guitar. The album also featured Koichi Fukuda on piano and Emilie Autumn on violin.
Atavist was the first album not to feature longtime bassist Jason "eViL J" McGuire who left the band on September 30, 2010, the personnel consisted of session musicians Rani Sharone, Gil Sharone, Tony Campos, Collyn McCoy, Ulrich Wild, and Markus Estrada. On the tour supporting the album, her band consisted of support musicians courtesy of the supporting band and labelmates on the tour, Destrophy. The band is now mainly Otep Shamaya.
In 2011, Otep toured as a supporting act along with Earth Crisis for Cavalera Conspiracy. She also wrote and released a new book of poems titled "New Word Order" in December 2011.
In 2013, Otep released her sixth studio album titled Hydra on January 22 through Victory Records.
Eet the Children
Otep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't make a sound...
Hush little baby...
Don't make a move...
This is gonna hurt
Me more than you...
Subtle, a danger to myself
Twisting and turning
My insides are burning
Like larva feeding from the kill
From pestilence of decadence
I worship my emptiness
I'm ravaged by the damages of this hell
[Chorus]
Eat the children! No!
Eat the children! No!
Eat the children! No!
A disease you won't beat,
These wounds asleep
Operators are standing by
Soul restrictions
Always ready to pry
Side effects could include
We'll steal the life right out of you
Descending, amending
And still I'm pretending
I regress to become one of them
They gave me this affliction
They heal to my addiction
I can't repress myself
[Chorus]
A disease you won't beat
These wounds asleep
Operators are standing by
Soul restrictions
Always ready to pry
Side effects could include
We'll steal the life right out of you
If I'm a danger to myself
Just think what I could do to you...
Well Momma #1
Taught you how to shave
Well Momma #2
Took you to the PTA
Tell us how to guess
And teach us to obey
But they never heard a word
That you had to say
For shame
For shame
'Cause I am vermin
I'm the anti-Christ
Just another lonely chapter
In the book of lies
Don't they know
That they are the brain
Don't they know
They are the brain
Don't they know
That they are the brain
Don't they know
Better than that
Don't they know
They are the brain
Don't they know
Better than that
Don't they know
I'm insane
Don't they know
Better than that
Don't they know
They are the brain
Don't they know
Better than that
Don't they know
I'm insane
[Chorus]
A disease you won't beat,
These wounds asleep
Operators are standing by
Soul restrictions
Always ready to pry
Follow this simple rule
Do it to them before I do it to you
The first two lines of the song, "Hush little baby, don't make a sound, Hush little baby, don't make a move" seems ironic as it sounds like a lullaby, but it doesn't seem like it is soothing. The singer is promising that hurting the baby is going to hurt them more than it is going to hurt the baby. The next couple of lines, "Subtle, a danger to myself, Just think what I could do to you" is a warning that is being issued to the listener that the singer is capable of causing harm. The character is struggling internally and is seeking some kind of release, and the solution that they seem to have arrived at is expressed in the lines "Eat the children! No! Eat the children! No! Eat the children! No!" which are repeated in the chorus. This suggests that they want to destroy something innocent and pure.
The character is presented as someone who has been deeply wounded and is now attempting to heal themselves by becoming a monster. They are consumed by a sense of emptiness and are wallowing in their own decay. They feel trapped and are in search of a way to escape. The lyrics "Operators are standing by, Soul restrictions always ready to pry, Side effects could include, We'll steal the life right out of you" describes the character's desperation to find some way to ease their pain. They are willing to take any chance, even if it means having their soul stolen from them. They feel hopeless and alone and see themselves as vermin and the anti-Christ.
Line by Line Meaning
Hush little baby...
Trying to silence and calm down someone or something
Don't make a sound...
Trying to prevent any noise or disturbance
Hush little baby...
Trying to silence and calm down someone or something
Don't make a move...
Trying to prevent any movement or action
This is gonna hurt
Me more than you...
The artist is going to cause harm to someone, but the artist will also be remorseful for it.
Subtle, a danger to myself
Just think what I could do to you
The singer is capable of causing severe damage if provoked, but they are trying to hide it.
Twisting and turning
My insides are burning
Like larva feeding from the kill
The singer is in agony and is experiencing intense pain and discomfort.
From pestilence of decadence
I worship my emptiness
I'm ravaged by the damages of this hell
The artist is at a low point in life and has nothing left to live for.
Eat the children! No!
Eat the children! No!
Eat the children! No!
The artist is rebelling against societal norms and is angry at the world.
A disease you won't beat,
These wounds asleep
The artist has an illness that is incurable and will never go away.
Operators are standing by
Soul restrictions
Always ready to pry
Side effects could include
We'll steal the life right out of you
The singer is criticizing the pharmaceutical industry for being willing to take advantage of people's suffering for monetary gain.
Descending, amending
And still I'm pretending
I regress to become one of them
The artist is acknowledging a struggle to fit in with society and is having trouble doing so.
They gave me this affliction
They heal to my addiction
I can't repress myself
The singer is blaming someone else for their troubles and is reluctant to take responsibility.
Well Momma #1
Taught you how to shave
Well Momma #2
Took you to the PTA
Tell us how to guess
And teach us to obey
But they never heard a word
That you had to say
For shame
For shame
The singer is critical of traditional gender roles and societal expectations. They believe that parents and authority figures do not understand the individuals they are trying to control.
'Cause I am vermin
I'm the anti-Christ
Just another lonely chapter
In the book of lies
The singer feels that they are vilified by society and see themselves as an outsider and an outcast.
Don't they know
That they are the brain
Don't they know
They are the brain
Don't they know
That they are the brain
The artist is highlighting the hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance of those in positions of power.
Don't they know
Better than that
Don't they know
They are the brain
Don't they know
Better than that
Don't they know
I'm insane
The artist is highlighting the absurdity of societal norms and the unfairness of mental illness.
[Chorus]
A disease you won't beat,
These wounds asleep
Operators are standing by
Soul restrictions
Always ready to pry
Follow this simple rule
Do it to them before I do it to you
The singer is once again criticizing the pharmaceutical industry and making an implicit threat. They also suggest that people should take control and act first before being acted upon.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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