This song has perplexed me for so long. I’ve had academic training in deciphering the meaning of poetry through universities. Additionally, I have had so much real life experience within evangelical Christian circles as well as academic biblical scholarship.

Therefore, I thought that this song would be incredibly easy for me to interpret it’s meaning and intent. Nope! I am stuck.

The official video of this song is here.

I’ll break down what I believe some of the lyrics mean and bracket the verses that have left me befuddled.

I can’t say that I love Jesus

That would be a hollow claim

He did make some observations

And I’m quoting them today

All of this seems fairly straightforward to me.

“Judge not lest ye be judged”

What a beautiful refrain

Again, this is easily understood IMO.

The studio audience disagrees

Why wouldn’t they?

Have His lambs all gone astray?

Is this questioning the ‘studio audience’?

The chorus repeats itself three times:

Call me a leper

Call me a leper

Call me a leper

I am not sure what this means.

The rest of the song lyrics are below and I’ll leave those for later discussion.

“You are lost and disillusioned”

What an awful thing to say

I know this show doesn’t flatter

It means nothing to me

I thought I might help them understand

What an ugly thing to see

“I am not an animal”

Subtitled under the screen

When I tried to tell my story

They cut me off to take a break

I sat silent five commercials

I had nothing left to say

Talk show host was index-carded

All organized and blank

The other guests were scared and hardened

What a sad parade

What a sad parade

  • Redpandalovely
    6•2 years ago

    I am by no means an expert. I first read this and thought I would ask my oldest brother, a theologian, if he was still living.

    I found something about the song being from a talk show guest’s perspective.

    I tried to tell my story and they criticized me. I am human and flawed just as them. They cut me off. Wouldn’t hear me out. I gave up and sat in silence. Go ahead, call me a leper. I’m not perfect. I can’t say I love Jesus (not a Christian by faith?) but I believe in his teaching to not judge others. Have they all gone astray? Am I all alone in this world with no one on my side? They can’t see how they are hurting me or they don’t care. How would they feel if this were done to them? Go ahead and ostracize me, like a leper in the modern world.

    Maybe this is simplistic and needs further interpretation? Specific lines? The audience being scared and hardened.