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.
Head
Otep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've stolen my fascination
You've smothered my holy addiction
And now I'm soaked in you
Like fat white worms and sad haikus
I woke up and the world was on fire
To erase all the faith that I have in the human race
I woke up and the world was on fire
It's all in your head, it's all in your head
They said I need to flee
Are they the shepherds or are they sheep?
Are we the butchers or are we the meat?
In this nest of lies living a life under siege
We sink in the stink and I need my disease
It's all in your head, they said I need to flee
This never ending ordinary monarchy
Beneath the toxic water where my secrets come to meet
In catacombs of shadow and wet skies of mystery
I found a soggy savior, a painted lady made of eyes
She sings to me of my deceit, your life is a lie
I woke up and the world was on fire
I woke up and the swine had conspired
To erase all the faith that I have in the human race
I woke up and the world was on fire
It's all in your head, it's all in your head
They said I need to flee
Are they the shepherds or are they sheep?
Are we the butchers or are we the meat?
In this nest of lies living a life under siege
We sink in the stink and I need my disease
It's all in your head, they said I need to flee
This never ending ordinary monarchy
If we stand too still they're gonna eat us alive
Watch your tongue, teach them young
Medicate the mutiny, better living through chemistry
Self destruction's patriotic, money fixes everything
Watch your tongue, teach them young
We're taught to love and hate, to fight and obey
I've lost my mind but I've found my way
In this nest of lies every wall has eyes
It's all in your head, it's all in your head
They said I need to flee
Are they the shepherds or are they sheep?
Are we the butchers or are we the meat?
In this nest of lies living a life under siege
We sink in the stink and I need my disease
It's all in your head, they said I need to flee
This never ending ordinary monarchy
The lyrics to Otep's "Head" present a bleak outlook on society with a sense of rebellion and resistance. The first line, "In that final look does the deer forgive the wolf?" suggests a deeper contemplation about the nature of violence and forgiveness. The next lines, "You've stolen my fascination / You've smothered my holy addiction / And now I'm soaked in you / Like fat white worms and sad haikus" speak to a sense of loss and despair, as if the singer has been suffocated by something that used to bring them joy.
The chorus, "I woke up and the world was on fire / I woke up and the swine had conspired / To erase all the faith that I have in the human race" further builds on this sense of hopelessness and loss. It seems as though the singer is waking up to a world that has completely betrayed them, and they're struggling to make sense of it all. The repetition of "It's all in your head" suggests that there's a struggle between what's real and what's not - the external world and the internal one.
Line by Line Meaning
In that final look does the deer forgive the wolf?
Do we forgive our oppressors, even in the face of death?
You've stolen my fascination
You've taken away what I was passionate about
You've smothered my holy addiction
You've suffocated my obsession with something sacred
And now I'm soaked in you
I'm completely consumed by you
Like fat white worms and sad haikus
In an unpleasant way, I'm caught up in you, like worms and melancholic poetry
I woke up and the world was on fire
I realized the world is a dangerous and tumultuous place
I woke up and the swine had conspired
I realized the pigs, the corrupt leaders, were working together
To erase all the faith that I have in the human race
They're trying to take away my faith in humanity
It's all in your head, it's all in your head
The world may seem terrible, but it's all a matter of perception
They said I need to flee
They told me to run away
Are they the shepherds or are they sheep?
Are our leaders really guiding us, or just following their own agendas?
Are we the butchers or are we the meat?
Are we the ones doing the killing, or will we be the victims?
In this nest of lies living a life under siege
We exist in a world full of deception and are constantly being attacked
We sink in the stink and I need my disease
We're getting caught up in the negativity and I'm falling victim to it
This never ending ordinary monarchy
We're stuck in a cycle of the same old thing, controlled by the rich and powerful
Beneath the toxic water where my secrets come to meet
Under all the toxicity, where my secrets lie hidden
In catacombs of shadow and wet skies of mystery
In the deep, dark caverns of my mind, amongst the unknown
I found a soggy savior, a painted lady made of eyes
I discovered a savior, who is strange and has a weird appearance
She sings to me of my deceit, your life is a lie
She reminds me of how I'm lying to myself and living a false life
If we stand too still they're gonna eat us alive
If we don't act, we'll be destroyed by our enemies
Medicate the mutiny, better living through chemistry
Let's use drugs to numb ourselves and maintain the status quo
Self destruction's patriotic, money fixes everything
We're encouraged to destroy ourselves, and all our problems can be solved by money
We're taught to love and hate, to fight and obey
We're trained to feel a range of emotions and to be combative or subservient
I've lost my mind but I've found my way
I've become unhinged, but I'm starting to understand things better
In this nest of lies every wall has eyes
In this world of falsehoods, every surface is watching us
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jason McGuire, Mark Bistany, Otep Shamaya, Robert Patterson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind