+WickedSic21 dont talk about impression if you speake out agesnist athisim, religon is all impressionable, eather you fallow there religon and rules or you go to hell. know whatnyou talking about before you deside to speak out dumbass
If you were half educated & knew anything about the history of world religions then you would understand! Now piss off I'm sure you're late for a Trump rally!
Viracocha711 the "history" of religion is a history of murder and war. There has been more wars caused by religion then by land or power. Dont involve dumb old trump where he is not involved
I'm an atheist, and there is a perspective I'd like to share. The beauty of no afterlife is that all you have is this limited time here on earth. That's all you got. No matter how much you cling to your existence it will some day fade. No hope for an afterlife to carry on the legacy of your existence. So what's this say? It says live now. Live passionately. Live with purpose. Find meaning in your existence and savor each bite as if it were your last, and most importantly live in the present and find peace and beauty in every step you take. Buddhists, Hindus, Shinto, and Taoist all advocate to live in the present. I'm sure somewhere Christ said that as well. With the right perspective perhaps it's not so important what we "believe", but rather how we move through this world.
+GorillaPHX Can't argue with the "Being in the moment" philosophy but I am continuously amazed by atheists who defend their stance as passionately as Christians do. If you are truly an atheist then why would you need or even care to defend your position ? If you think there is no afterlife then why even feel the need to preach ?
+GorillaPHX Just because this is all we have doesn't necessarily mean you have to get all serious about it and maximize your potential. I say have a good time. If you want to get all intense and motivated, more power to you, god bless the Jimmies (Page and Hendrix) and a multitude of others who have shared the beauty of humankind. But I firmly believe that in the end nothing fucking matters. Perhaps you should ask me in a hundred million years...
Watching this again I am amazed at the symbolism. People up in their trees, in their religious, living in a very restricted world, but a safe one and more importantly, one where they can look down with an air of superiority upon others. At one point the artist is up there as well, on his own branch, since not having a religion automatically makes him have to take a side against the majority in the war of idealogies that none of us can escape, and he has to defend himself, knowing full well that doing so also puts him at a place where he is looking down on others. He can't escape it. The only difference is he is free to come down when he wants. In the end, the only thing he can really do is rage against the system, this only shakes the tree, but it can't bring it down. He can only shake a few believers, which ultimately only serves to hurt those he brings down and break up families. People will cling to their differing worldviews until they die, insisting they are right and all the others are wrong, even though they are only two sides of the same tree. We don't have any real solutions. It's a song that leaves you very uneasy.
Actually, there is now data showing that the collective efforts of the human species is finally chopping down the tree. The trick is to build good tools, such as an axe, or science, and to hire good lumberjacks, or scientists/educators.
"Even" as an agnostic christian and former extreme church-going Catholic, I adore these lyrics and the meaning. Only just discovered from a cover by Lawless. Great lines, the second verse is fantastic. And that bridge. Glad I came across this.
I want to personally thank XTC for making my early teen brain question what had been spoon fed to me since an early age. I am now a well adjusted secular human that is compassionate to all life and is raising my children to be the same.
I have mixed feelings about this song. I felt defensive at first because I believe in a God and I thought this song suggested that I am naive' for doing so. On the other hand, musically and lyrically, this is great. The passion put into the singing. The kid at the beginning is very heartbreaking. Then the singer...has a sound of utter anger and disappointment, like everything you were ever told is bullshit. Makes for GREAT music
andrew sajgo The word "religion" literally means "Reconnect" in its roots. Also to accompany the comments section, Andy seems a lot nicer than some people assumed. He wrote "Respectable Street" and that's about hypocrisy: "Sunday Church, And they look fetching; Saturday night, Saw him retching over our fence!" That IS In agreement with the Bible, To show where people just _act_ good and such but AREN'T DOING IT! "These people give me lip service, but their hearts are far from me." That last quote is a Bible verse.
How do you know this? The lead singer?? Seems to me like he gets it. Seems to me like he is angry(as everyone should be) about the impotence and evil of this god character...
+Kevin Hosford Yeah, people were sending Andy death threats. HOW CHRISTIAN OF THEM, (sarcastically of course.) Didn't Christ say *LOVE* Your enemies? Andy did go to Church when he was younger.
in 1986 I was 20 when this album came out and this song in particular spoke to me. I don't know why I never believed in a god but this song was one of the things that really started me questioning why other people believed. 30 years later and I am still asking that question, even though I know a lot more now and even though I understand the reasons why a god occupies that little black box in the human brain, it still puzzles me how they accept their god as real and then accept all others as mythology or worse, demons.
I clearly remember the first time I heard it and watched this video - it was different and clever! Video is not available to me, though. I could only find cover versions of the song.
I was 20 in 1986 too and loved this song, mainly because I loved XTC but I certainly agree with the sentiment. I understand why we all want to believe in God or an afterlife; especially as we get older. :)
I was raised Catholic & that is why I was Agnostic for 51 yrs until last yr when I came to the realization that Jesus wasn't making it up when he said Satan is the ruler of this world. I never believed Satan existed until I found out the rulers of this world ie Banksters, politicians & even the Vatican all worship Satan. I used to ask the same age old question "how can God let so much bad stuff happen?" God gave us free will so we let all of this stuff happen ! How else could we be judged without free will? The Freemasons/Illuminati rulers have decided there are too many people so they are about to depopulate the planet with Famine, Plague, WW3 & Death camps. (The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse) Early Christians did not believe in a place called Hell & they did not believe Jesus is God these are false doctrines perpetuated by Pagans & Satanists/Luciferians. I always thought the Big Bang Theory sounded stupid....millions of species evolving from a big bang makes no sense. Everything is happening just as the Bible says it will. Other Freemason lies- Climate change is CAUSED by HAARP/Geoengineering (my friend worked at NASA on the HAARP project). Western Medicine is a big money lie, people are curing cancer & AIDS with diet. They have known as far back as 1931 that heavy doses of ascorbic acid administered intravenously will cure most if not all viruses including AIDS, Polio & Ebola. Avoid American dairy, red meat, processed sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, drugs & GMO products, keep pH levels up with sodium bicarbonate & fast 2-3 days at first sign of the flu or Ebola, also google H2o2 protocols for flu's & respiratory ailments & watch what happens to your health....diseases such as Cancer & Arteriosclerosis will reverse. Notice how the KC Royals came out of no where & are 1 game away from winning the World Series (fixed) Did you know that on 9-11 plane #11 hit the N.Tower at 11 minutes before 9 & 911 days later on 3-11 another false flag hit the Madrid trains? I'm not sure but I think the Freemasons are going to attack the "49th" Super Bowl at "Phoenix" Stadium (Out of the ashes a new Phoenix will rise...The New World Order) so they can start WW3. Hard to believe an event with that much security would be targeted? We shall see, Cheney is on record saying there will be a bigger event than 9-11 so you better damn well believe there will be
LordGandor3 wow, you really pick your myths and conspiracy theories from any tree! Jesus and Satan is only mentioned in the new testament, modified by the catholic church to make the pope the richest man in the world (only recently surpassed by Putin (another mad ruler)). Catholic? That just mean you are capable of believing the most insane stories without asking for any evidence.
Religião é, pois, a fase infantil da humanidade. Um dia o homem descobrirá que ele adorou a sua própria essência, que criou em sua fantasia um ser semelhante a si, mas infinitamente mais perfeito, que está sempre pronto a lhe oferecer consolo no sofrimento e proteção nos momentos difíceis e angustiantes da existência. A melhor palavra pra definirmos deus seria "Delírio". não vejo palavra que se encaixe melhor que esta. Paz pra todos!
I'm an avid Christian and follower of Christ, and I think this song is really good! It's so vulnerable and shows the doubts of humans and their misunderstanding of God!! So good, man.
Can't we just enjoy the song for what it is? Like I'm Catholic and I find this song super catchy. The message is great and it does provide food for thought and discussion, but it gets irritating when people are just like, "Checkmate, Theists." If you believe god exists or not, great, but don't just wave it around to agitate the other side.
There is no "checkmate theists" so you don't have to worry. No religion has yet provided any evidence of the existence of such superstitions to require the need to make a claim that the monsters described in theist myths do not exist. When some evidence is provided, then we can dust off the chessboard.
You really think they just wanted to make a song that was catchy? I'd love to hear your thoughts on Billie Holiday's "strange fruit" then.... that was obviously just meant to be a groovy sounding blues tune? Don't be afraid to dig deep. Some people do make music for purposes beyond being entertaining.
+Jeton Kukalaj it is sad XTC never hit it big....they had so many great tunes like senses working overtime , complicated game and , living thru another Cuba, I'm the man who murdered love, thats really super super girl, Madam Barnum and MAYOR OF SIMPLETON, ballad of peter pumkinhead and generals & majors
This song will be relevant until every religion and the fools and liar who propagate it chokes on their last death gargle. On a side note, this video is really intense.
Released some 30 years ago now, sounds even better today than it did when first released. This is a fine song to send to your fervent 'believer' associates, be them Catholic, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or whatever.
No doubt that Philip. People prefer to seek division, elitism failing to miss the much more important point of humility and humanity as well as questioning upon doubts so that were are not robotic in our relations.
+Jonathan Hayes Very simple. Sometimes as a Believer in CHRIST,I go through doubts & struggles about HIM. Being selfish and wanting things of this Earth more than HIM.
Hugh Janus Ok, the ONLY differences between Believers and non-Believers is accepting CHRIST as our personal Savoir and TRY to obey and follow HIM willingly. We still struggle w/things. It's not being good that saves me,but believing CHRIST died for my sins. that's it.
The violin player at 2:10 looks like Teller!!! From Penn & Teller. They're known, proud atheists and it wouldn't surprise me if he took part in the music video; however I couldn't find it referenced on their wiki.
LOL Absolutely no idea Mate! To tell the truth, I didn't even know WHO 'J R Hartley' was until I 'Googled' him, after reading your comment a few moments ago! You see, I grew up in the UK, but left in 1980 to move to the U.S. (where I'm stuck now unfortunately), and according to what I read when I 'Googled' him, as well as what you told me - 'J R Hartley' was a character that certainly came long after my time there in the UK. CHEERS! DOC ; )
Stuck eh? I only hope you have a machine that goes 'ding' when there's stuff,lol.Anyway.Cheers for the reply Doctor and good mooning from the UK..Raises glass of something green :D
yeah...stuck. : ( I'd love to return to the UK, but cash is the prob. I've got loads of relatives there, and they have all been sayin the same thing for years - It's EXPENSIVE in the UK! CHEERS! DOC ; )
Those of you who don't believe in God, it's because you love sin too much. May the blessings of the Lord be upon you all in times of trials and tribulations. May Jesus bless you.
Guess were still debating this one, huh? Wow, I thought it would cease with say, the late 80s or at the latest early 90s. but, it rages on. Yep, Any Partridge tackles the biggest, most ultimate question here, and does a great job. listen and learn. I just have always really loved this song, everything about it. its an incredibly passionate performance, you can just feel the blood boiling. too bad they didn't give more performances, but I heard that he mostly loathed it.
+kevin hughes The members of XTC to this day (that I read) *still* haven't seen any money from their five years of touring. Or at least that's what I read, that they didn't get money from their touring in those years 1976/1977-1982 and were just plain exhausted along with numerous other things piling up.
Just stumbled on this one. I forget how much I like this tune. No judgement here or religious / political views, just like the lyrics and songs ability to spark interesting conversations.Nicely done.
Not sure if anyone made this observation, but I've always loved this song because of the double meaning in the title. It isn't just "Dear God," like the start of a letter to God, but an exclamation one might utter when seeing the circumstances they are surrounded by. "Dear God!"
I think people took The Bible way too literal, I believe it is more of a book of lessons. Remember Greek Gods? They gave lessons, don't fly too close to the sun, greed can overwhelm you, etc etc. They were all written by one (or two, I think) man, as a book of lessons, as stated before. After a while, we realized they were fake. I believe that after a while, the same will happen here.
For my atheist friends who ask the question, "If there is a God why does He allow such HORRIBLE CRAP to happen in this world, especially to innocent people?" finally an answer: God put US here---to look out for each other, to keep an eye on His Creation. If the world is fucked up don't cop out and blame God, blame your fellow man; blame YOURSELF.
Lord Boxxy You mean to tell me, with a straight face, that people AREN'T responsible for rape, murder, and poverty?! Bill Gates living in a 66,000 square foot house that costs $145 million while people are sleeping on pieces of cardboard in Africa? Do you realize how silly that sounds? While it can be argued that such "natural" events as floods and earthquakes are both unfair and (indirectly, at least) the result of God, blame ever-greedy man for making things worse by building on flood plains or for concrete high-rises in densely-populated cities.
Yes, humans are responsible for AIDS, cancer, tsunamis, super-volcanoes, earthquakes, congenital diseases, asteroid impacts, and the fact that one day the sun will envelope and destroy the Earth. Oh wait no we aren't. God would be responsible for all that shit
Drake Minaj Not to mention faulty logic (I've already conceded that God is at least indirectly responsible for "natural" occurrences though blame man for most diseases: AIDS from unnatural "procreation" and sharing dirty needles; cancer and various congenital diseases from the polluted environments man creates, including alcohol) bad sarcasm and, judging from your pic, some genetic deficits as well. "Planet of the Apes" understudy?
S.A. Hogan there is obviosly no god and if there was and he put us here to love each other and protect his creation the earth and all living things upon it, well he did a real shit job, must not be so perfect this so called god! humanity creates gods not vice versa
This song, especially the last part, bring tears to my eyes. I know God exists, because human beings created him, and I hate him so deeply when I listen to this song. I hate what we created. Being an atheist made my life make sense. Knowing that there was nothing except for this life made me realise that I wanted to cling on to it fiercely, and live it as fully as I could. Becoming a Secular Humanist completed my soul in ways I never thought possible. I hate the fact that people have to believe in him. I hate the idea of such a cruel, merciless god, and people dying and sacrificing themselves in his name. How many more lives, dear god, will you take for yourself? Humans are the authors of their own lives and destinies. I wish I could say things like these all the time, without being accused of superimposing my 'beliefs' on people. And now I'll return to quietly receive the stray looks from people who think I am mad for not joining the unified delusion, and I'll pretend to be okay with people praying for me to find 'His' love again.
I need not prove my statement. I do not claim the existence of anything, you do. Show me your proof, and I will believe. Till then, he just exists in your imagination.
I couldn´t agree more. I am way more satisfied knowing there nothing more than what I do with life, without false expectations and trying to aquire "responses" from magic. Sadly when we express our beliefs, we are the wrong ones and the ones trying to wash people's mind with evolution and science. But it's ok for religious people to come to us trying to open our eyes... I've learned to let people be... if they are happy like that that's ok but I couldn´t.
i can't believe people thought this was some kind of declaration of faith at the time lol, one of the most unsubtly atheistic pop songs i've ever heard
+King Matty B Raps Well, yeah...similar things are happening with Hozier's Take me to Church-some are calling it an openly atheistic song, others that it's calling for change, and others' saying it's just a song. Hozier himself speaks about it being a song about how folks don't just do good-why have people who claim authority 'make' you do good-then profit off of your naivety. This song, I see as far more complex than one may give it credit. The songwriter is openly atheist, but even he has said that the song is not a call to atheism, so to speak-it's borne more out of sheer frustration. Like 'come on, why the hell can we not get along???' Personally, I agree with it. I find the song wonderful in challenging our frustrations, our anger, our sheer failings as a species. One can pin some of that on religion, but I think it's far more complicated. Like we are inherently programmed to fail.
I go to church every Sunday, confession once a month, fast, and I pray every day. Yet, this is undeniably my absolute favorite song. People might say it's weird I listen to this, but if I don't expose myself to the opinions and viewpoints of those who don't believe in God, then I'm living in a delusional echochamber where God is real because i never heard anybody say He wasn't. The words don't bother me in the slightest
Funny how many people that claim they are atheists are really religious deep down ....This song is the perfect example "you always letting us humans down " , i think the artist wrote it with that in mind , it shows how many people even if atheists, really cant comprehend that a deity does not exist and even blame god for everything(that even being the source of their atheism) , they actually reject god and hate him , not really non believers .
I say the same thing every time I can't get my lawn mower to start but that doesn't mean I think it's alive and can hear me... The lyrics to this song do not in any way fashion or form even hint that they believe in a god, the lyrics are an attempt to make theists question the motives of the god they *DO* believe in, they begin to question, questions lead to doubt and doubt leads to a more rational way of thinking and then eventually to a state disbelief which in turn eliminates asinine comments like yours....
Assuming you are a smart and halfway educated christian you can easily see that not everything in the bible is literarly true (all the things science disproofed, everything that woul lead to contradictions and the things you don't like to be true), but you take everything an atheist would say, write or listen to in a song as literarely true when it fits your absurd and illogical arguments? Hypocrit.
This song isn't against religion! It's asking if god exists...why do we suffer on earth with hunger, war, and people using his name in order to make profit. The song makes sense, why believe in God if he lets us down all the time. WHERE IS HIS HELP?
Ok, let's just relax and accept that some people, many people, still believe in god while more and more see god as a concept at best and an angry, invisible man in the sky at worst. We won't settle this on youtube, so let's just enjoy some thought-provoking music, then, maybe, just maybe, go read a book or three about religion and consider what it has done for humanity, including The Crusades, The Holocaust, ISIS...
I saw this video when it was released as a 16 year old on a late night music video program. I used to video tape the entire program so I got this same video. It was so profound to me. I already had so many doubts about the existance of God. Having been raised in a very open and progressive yet religious family, I could never beleive in all the non-sensical and contradictory stories of the Bible. This song captured my thoughts that could never speak of to anyone at that time.
***** It calls a certain conservative conception of God something less than positive and demands answers. That kind of passion often leads to atheists or ministers. In one of the few verses of Revelation worth keeping, a vision of Jesus spits out the person because they were lukewarm, rather than hot or cold. This song is definitely not lukewarm.
***** _Yes but you must also realize that your religion despises so-called "cold" people because we refuse to believe that your god exists._ You understand a narrow, vocal, conservative version of Christianity. That's not your fault. It's our own fault that we didn't effectively counter their message with our own. One of many problems with the conservative view is that a set of books, written over many centuries, a long time ago, that compiled their best thoughts and arguments, is simple to understand, through and through. Some of it is simple, yet profound: love your neighbor, who is my neighbor? Much is hard enough that it's easy to say that it fits your prejudices perfectly. It doesn't. In my church, confirmation students have to write a statement of faith and ask to join the church (if they want to). A few years ago, a student basically wrote: I'm very skeptical of miracles. I don't know if God exists. I'd like to join the church to help me find out. Not only was he admitted as a member. The overall mood of the congregation seemed to be excitement. Here was a teen who took these religious questions seriously. _If he does,_ Not sure why you insist on the male pronoun. In the trinity, which not all Christians profess, there are several reasons to see the Holy Spirit as female. _and he exists as described in the Bible or Torah, then he despises Atheists with as much passion as he loves Christians._ Conservative view again. Some people see the Bible as an argument between multiple sides, answered by Jesus. In other words, some of the sides in the Bible lost. Still others see it, somewhat similarly, as a two steps forward, one step back, again eventually answered by Jesus. Neither of these viewpoints are particularly radical, they just make those that want simple answers uncomfortable. Thoughtful atheists push me. I often see them loving and giving (also less positive things). I don't see how I could love a god that "loved" me for now, yet hated what I might become. I couldn't love a god that despised atheists. _And anything that rejects your god is propaganda against him. That's just your base belief. It may not be what you personally believe, but that kind of hatred towards anything just because it's different is exactly what the religion you choose to follow preaches._ Uh-huh. You're claiming that your conservative way of understanding the Bible and God is the only way of understanding. If I disagree, it's just my personal belief, you have the real truth. Just because you have made an assertion, doesn't make it true. That kind of illogical argument makes you like many fundamentalists, I'm afraid.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake...that is beautiful...i love xtc! I always have ..i like this song . but of the two,bible verse or deargod lyrics - guess which will be remembered 2000 years from now
"did you make menkind after we made you" that hits you hard
+WickedSic21 dont talk about impression if you speake out agesnist athisim, religon is all impressionable, eather you fallow there religon and rules or you go to hell. know whatnyou talking about before you deside to speak out dumbass
+WickedSic21 Word. Exactly the kind of assholes that burn flags, shoot cops, and think Hillary Clinton is "one of them".
what about it hits you hard? Makes no sense to me.. P;ease explain.
If you were half educated & knew anything about the history of world religions then you would understand! Now piss off I'm sure you're late for a Trump rally!
Viracocha711 the "history" of religion is a history of murder and war. There has been more wars caused by religion then by land or power. Dont involve dumb old trump where he is not involved
I'm an atheist, and there is a perspective I'd like to share. The beauty of no afterlife is that all you have is this limited time here on earth. That's all you got. No matter how much you cling to your existence it will some day fade. No hope for an afterlife to carry on the legacy of your existence. So what's this say? It says live now. Live passionately. Live with purpose. Find meaning in your existence and savor each bite as if it were your last, and most importantly live in the present and find peace and beauty in every step you take. Buddhists, Hindus, Shinto, and Taoist all advocate to live in the present. I'm sure somewhere Christ said that as well. With the right perspective perhaps it's not so important what we "believe", but rather how we move through this world.
+GorillaPHX Excellent!
+GorillaPHX Can't argue with the "Being in the moment" philosophy but I am continuously amazed by atheists who defend their stance as passionately as Christians do. If you are truly an atheist then why would you need or even care to defend your position ? If you think there is no afterlife then why even feel the need to preach ?
+GorillaPHX Just because this is all we have doesn't necessarily mean you have to get all serious about it and maximize your potential. I say have a good time. If you want to get all intense and motivated, more power to you, god bless the Jimmies (Page and Hendrix) and a multitude of others who have shared the beauty of humankind. But I firmly believe that in the end nothing fucking matters. Perhaps you should ask me in a hundred million years...
+Steve Folsom Agree. Nothing wrong with goals, smelling the roses, or doing nothing.
+Matt M pretty sure I covered that
I love how the subtitle says god and not "God". Exactly the right thing to do.
I disagree. Had it been capitalized, it would have come across even more blasphemous and made the video even better lol
But God is the name of a character. You capitalize Voldemort even thought you don't like him, right?
Ahto Eh not really , If he said Yahwe ( most certainly butchered that name) or Allah then its fine capitilizing.
This is what a Masterpiece sounds like. A generation of innovated visionary geniuses.
Watching this again I am amazed at the symbolism. People up in their trees, in their religious, living in a very restricted world, but a safe one and more importantly, one where they can look down with an air of superiority upon others. At one point the artist is up there as well, on his own branch, since not having a religion automatically makes him have to take a side against the majority in the war of idealogies that none of us can escape, and he has to defend himself, knowing full well that doing so also puts him at a place where he is looking down on others. He can't escape it. The only difference is he is free to come down when he wants. In the end, the only thing he can really do is rage against the system, this only shakes the tree, but it can't bring it down. He can only shake a few believers, which ultimately only serves to hurt those he brings down and break up families. People will cling to their differing worldviews until they die, insisting they are right and all the others are wrong, even though they are only two sides of the same tree. We don't have any real solutions. It's a song that leaves you very uneasy.
Mike Keith its very unfortunate really, humanity is fucked either way
Actually, there is now data showing that the collective efforts of the human species is finally chopping down the tree. The trick is to build good tools, such as an axe, or science, and to hire good lumberjacks, or scientists/educators.
Classic MTV 120 minutes. The good old days.
Loved that show!
This song man, speaks the truth
Sure does
dont think so
The song speaks bullshit because the author is closed minded and rejects the possibility of the spiritual realm which is behind this existance.
You can't, man, HANDLE the truth.
There is no spiritual realm. Great song, PERFECT LYRICS!
The fact that this song becomes more relevant as time goes on speaks volumes as to where we are headed....
Loved this song as a kid, and when it came on while I was watching the new IT I had to go watch this again. Still awesome!
This song still gives me the chills all of these years later!
"Even" as an agnostic christian and former extreme church-going Catholic, I adore these lyrics and the meaning. Only just discovered from a cover by Lawless. Great lines, the second verse is fantastic. And that bridge. Glad I came across this.
I want to personally thank XTC for making my early teen brain question what had been spoon fed to me since an early age. I am now a well adjusted secular human that is compassionate to all life and is raising my children to be the same.
This is a religious statement-With far more realisation of reality and compassion and humility than any religious text.
I have mixed feelings about this song. I felt defensive at first because I believe in a God and I thought this song suggested that I am naive' for doing so. On the other hand, musically and lyrically, this is great. The passion put into the singing. The kid at the beginning is very heartbreaking. Then the singer...has a sound of utter anger and disappointment, like everything you were ever told is bullshit. Makes for GREAT music
He (Andy Partridge, the singer) did go to Church in the 1960s as a teenager if what I read is right.
its not about god existing,its about the Christian religion monopolizing it and monetizing fear. the lead singer belives in god
andrew sajgo The word "religion" literally means "Reconnect" in its roots.
Also to accompany the comments section, Andy seems a lot nicer than some people assumed. He wrote "Respectable Street" and that's about hypocrisy: "Sunday Church, And they look fetching; Saturday night, Saw him retching over our fence!" That IS In agreement with the Bible, To show where people just _act_ good and such but AREN'T DOING IT! "These people give me lip service, but their hearts are far from me." That last quote is a Bible verse.
How do you know this? The lead singer?? Seems to me like he gets it. Seems to me like he is angry(as everyone should be) about the impotence and evil of this god character...
cptnchristMyth Who are you replying to?
The video is just as great as the song. Simple but symbolic.
One of the most powerful, heartfelt, and moving songs about God and the lack of faith
I can remember when this song came out . It caused a very big stink believe it or not.
+BigBadBampa
Oh, I believe it. :)
+Kevin Hosford Yeah, people were sending Andy death threats. HOW CHRISTIAN OF THEM, (sarcastically of course.) Didn't Christ say *LOVE* Your enemies? Andy did go to Church when he was younger.
Austin Lucas
I've heard it said that Jesus would make a lousy Christian.
V-Rex
Yes, but a lot of modern Christians seem to think Jesus was white and spoke English.
V-Rex
I hyperbolize, of course.
in 1986 I was 20 when this album came out and this song in particular spoke to me. I don't know why I never believed in a god but this song was one of the things that really started me questioning why other people believed. 30 years later and I am still asking that question, even though I know a lot more now and even though I understand the reasons why a god occupies that little black box in the human brain, it still puzzles me how they accept their god as real and then accept all others as mythology or worse, demons.
I clearly remember the first time I heard it and watched this video - it was different and clever! Video is not available to me, though. I could only find cover versions of the song.
Best song ever..
I was 20 in 1986 too and loved this song, mainly because I loved XTC but I certainly agree with the sentiment. I understand why we all want to believe in God or an afterlife; especially as we get older. :)
I was raised Catholic & that is why I was Agnostic for 51 yrs until last yr when I came to the realization that Jesus wasn't making it up when he said Satan is the ruler of this world. I never believed Satan existed until I found out the rulers of this world ie Banksters, politicians & even the Vatican all worship Satan. I used to ask the same age old question "how can God let so much bad stuff happen?" God gave us free will so we let all of this stuff happen ! How else could we be judged without free will? The Freemasons/Illuminati rulers have decided there are too many people so they are about to depopulate the planet with Famine, Plague, WW3 & Death camps. (The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse) Early Christians did not believe in a place called Hell & they did not believe Jesus is God these are false doctrines perpetuated by Pagans & Satanists/Luciferians. I always thought the Big Bang Theory sounded stupid....millions of species evolving from a big bang makes no sense. Everything is happening just as the Bible says it will. Other Freemason lies- Climate change is CAUSED by HAARP/Geoengineering (my friend worked at NASA on the HAARP project). Western Medicine is a big money lie, people are curing cancer & AIDS with diet. They have known as far back as 1931 that heavy doses of ascorbic acid administered intravenously will cure most if not all viruses including AIDS, Polio & Ebola. Avoid American dairy, red meat, processed sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, drugs & GMO products, keep pH levels up with sodium bicarbonate & fast 2-3 days at first sign of the flu or Ebola, also google H2o2 protocols for flu's & respiratory ailments & watch what happens to your health....diseases such as Cancer & Arteriosclerosis will reverse. Notice how the KC Royals came out of no where & are 1 game away from winning the World Series (fixed) Did you know that on 9-11 plane #11 hit the N.Tower at 11 minutes before 9 & 911 days later on 3-11 another false flag hit the Madrid trains? I'm not sure but I think the Freemasons are going to attack the "49th" Super Bowl at "Phoenix" Stadium (Out of the ashes a new Phoenix will rise...The New World Order) so they can start WW3. Hard to believe an event with that much security would be targeted? We shall see, Cheney is on record saying there will be a bigger event than 9-11 so you better damn well believe there will be
LordGandor3 wow, you really pick your myths and conspiracy theories from any tree! Jesus and Satan is only mentioned in the new testament, modified by the catholic church to make the pope the richest man in the world (only recently surpassed by Putin (another mad ruler)). Catholic? That just mean you are capable of believing the most insane stories without asking for any evidence.
Religião é, pois, a fase infantil da humanidade. Um dia o homem descobrirá que ele adorou a sua própria essência, que criou em sua fantasia um ser semelhante a si, mas infinitamente mais perfeito, que está sempre pronto a lhe oferecer consolo no sofrimento e proteção nos momentos difíceis e angustiantes da existência. A melhor palavra pra definirmos deus seria "Delírio". não vejo palavra que se encaixe melhor que esta. Paz pra todos!
I'm an avid Christian and follower of Christ, and I think this song is really good! It's so vulnerable and shows the doubts of humans and their misunderstanding of God!! So good, man.
Wow, what a powerful message this sends.
Can't we just enjoy the song for what it is? Like I'm Catholic and I find this song super catchy. The message is great and it does provide food for thought and discussion, but it gets irritating when people are just like, "Checkmate, Theists." If you believe god exists or not, great, but don't just wave it around to agitate the other side.
There is no "checkmate theists" so you don't have to worry. No religion has yet provided any evidence of the existence of such superstitions to require the need to make a claim that the monsters described in theist myths do not exist.
When some evidence is provided, then we can dust off the chessboard.
kamlem If god requires no evidence to prove its existance then it can be just as easily dismissed, as Hitchens would say.
You really think they just wanted to make a song that was catchy? I'd love to hear your thoughts on Billie Holiday's "strange fruit" then.... that was obviously just meant to be a groovy sounding blues tune?
Don't be afraid to dig deep. Some people do make music for purposes beyond being entertaining.
XTC and Squeeze, two bands who were the successors of the Beatles in terms of clever lyrics, hooked tunes and real musicianship.
I am an XTC fan since late 70´s...This song is one the best of their career...smashing & great stuff!!!
The Perks of being a Wallflower...
I'm a christian, but I love this song. Any Christian should ask themselves the questions this song raises.
That's a great attitude, the spirit of questioning doesn't negate faith, it adds a new dimension to it. It's a really powerful song. :)
What a song
+Jeton Kukalaj it is sad XTC never hit it big....they had so many great tunes like senses working overtime , complicated game and , living thru another Cuba, I'm the man who murdered love, thats really super super girl, Madam Barnum and MAYOR OF SIMPLETON, ballad of peter pumkinhead and generals & majors
+rebjiii You forget Making Plans With Nigel ;)
Jeff St-Cyr Making Plans for Nigel was never a favorite of mine - there are much better songs on Drums and Wire than that song
XTC were so goddamn brilliant, their music will always have a place in this world
God is Santa Claus for adults.
+Andrew Murphy Exactly. 'And what do you want for Christmas? A bag of lies?'.
This is the perfect fucking analogy
A song that is still relevant today and will continue to be so...
This song will be relevant until every religion and the fools and liar who propagate it chokes on their last death gargle.
On a side note, this video is really intense.
Released some 30 years ago now, sounds even better today than it did when first released. This is a fine song to send to your fervent 'believer' associates, be them Catholic, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or whatever.
I'm glad they summarized my thoughts on the subject into a short but concise manner. God bless the Canadians!!!
I've had this song stuck in my head since watching the new It.
The rest of this album is good too in case you haven't heard it.
Walter Plath Ah ok, thanks.
One of the most important songs ever written
No doubt that Philip. People prefer to seek division, elitism failing to miss the much more important point of humility and humanity as well as questioning upon doubts so that were are not robotic in our relations.
I'm a believer in CHRIST and I love this song!! Sometimes I feel this way about HIM.
And... how does that work??
+Jonathan Hayes Very simple. Sometimes as a Believer in CHRIST,I go through doubts & struggles about HIM. Being selfish and wanting things of this Earth more than HIM.
Hugh Janus
I don't understand the question.
Hugh Janus
Ok, the ONLY differences between Believers and non-Believers is accepting CHRIST as our personal Savoir and TRY to obey and follow HIM willingly. We still struggle w/things. It's not being good that saves me,but believing CHRIST died for my sins. that's it.
Hugh Janus
That's wasn't even I was implying.
still LOVE this song!!!
Poor tree. Good music 🎶.
The violin player at 2:10 looks like Teller!!!
From Penn & Teller.
They're known, proud atheists and it wouldn't surprise me if he took part in the music video; however I couldn't find it referenced on their wiki.
Tears with every watching/listen. Amazingly heartbreaking and beautiful simultaneously.
Very proud of this song.
Good one, Ludlow.
Ale Sciacca Me too!. I share this with a lot of theists...they dont care for it naturally.
another great song produced by Todd Rundgren , he even got the child to sing the opening verse...
+L67guy Actually on record it's a girl on that vocal, the boy was just for the video.
wow so god!
+evyatar mor LOL what a mistake
+evyatar mor Such God, very religion.
"Put off holiness, put on intellect."
-William Blake
What a masterpiece of a song that is.
From one Time lord to another.Question..Is that 'J R Hartley' from the 1983 yellow pages advert at 1:12?
LOL Absolutely no idea Mate! To tell the truth, I didn't even know WHO 'J R Hartley' was until I 'Googled' him, after reading your comment a few moments ago! You see, I grew up in the UK, but left in 1980 to move to the U.S. (where I'm stuck now unfortunately), and according to what I read when I 'Googled' him, as well as what you told me - 'J R Hartley' was a character that certainly came long after my time there in the UK. CHEERS! DOC ; )
Stuck eh? I only hope you have a machine that goes 'ding' when there's stuff,lol.Anyway.Cheers for the reply Doctor and good mooning from the UK..Raises glass of something green :D
yeah...stuck. : ( I'd love to return to the UK, but cash is the prob. I've got loads of relatives there, and they have all been sayin the same thing for years - It's EXPENSIVE in the UK! CHEERS! DOC ; )
Heisenberg made the diamond blue.
Excellent.
The genius of Andy Partridge violin is beautiful lyrics profound melody classic
I love this song, I am a huge christian but it makes a lot of valid statements.
I sing this song to people who preach God.
BEST.
FUCKING.
SONG.
EVER.
Loved this song back when I thought there was no God. But now that I know there is one, I still love this song. Music and God must be connected.
I love It
Imo: I'm no athiest but I think this song has extremely powerful words.
I never heard this song until I watched the new "it" movie a couple days ago. Great song. Deep meaning.
Those of you who don't believe in God, it's because you love sin too much. May the blessings of the Lord be upon you all in times of trials and tribulations. May Jesus bless you.
How many of you guys are here after watching the IT movie ? 😂😂
BesottedChimpPlays me
BesottedChimpPlays same
YUP ME
Lmao yeah
BesottedChimpPlays me!!
Was brought here by IT
Asa Gold same here
The 90s TV miniseries isn't the "original". The books are.
Wasn't that a great movie? I was so surprised to hear this song in IT. I love this song.
Asa Gold me
Guess were still debating this one, huh? Wow, I thought it would cease with say, the late 80s or at the latest early 90s. but, it rages on. Yep, Any Partridge tackles the biggest, most ultimate question here, and does a great job. listen and learn. I just have always really loved this song, everything about it. its an incredibly passionate performance, you can just feel the blood boiling. too bad they didn't give more performances, but I heard that he mostly loathed it.
+kevin hughes The members of XTC to this day (that I read) *still* haven't seen any money from their five years of touring. Or at least that's what I read, that they didn't get money from their touring in those years 1976/1977-1982 and were just plain exhausted along with numerous other things piling up.
+Austin Lucas That sucks. They should sue.
Just stumbled on this one. I forget how much I like this tune. No judgement here or religious / political views, just like the lyrics and songs ability to spark interesting conversations.Nicely done.
ha ha ha...brilliant song. the holy hoax!!! love xtc.
240p, we meet again. Great song though.
"It" brings me here
Not sure if anyone made this observation, but I've always loved this song because of the double meaning in the title. It isn't just "Dear God," like the start of a letter to God, but an exclamation one might utter when seeing the circumstances they are surrounded by. "Dear God!"
IT brought me here lmao
Precisamos de mais musicas assim
+Weyz Franco Eu vivo caçando para ver se esbarro em mais dessas.
se encontrar, me avise.
I think people took The Bible way too literal, I believe it is more of a book of lessons. Remember Greek Gods? They gave lessons, don't fly too close to the sun, greed can overwhelm you, etc etc. They were all written by one (or two, I think) man, as a book of lessons, as stated before. After a while, we realized they were fake. I believe that after a while, the same will happen here.
Then those are some shitty ass lessons goddamn o.0
*****
I never said they were _Good_ lessons.
*****
That was rude and uncalled for.
Legendaryskillz Rude? Yes. Untrue? Nope.
Terror Chan
Yeah, never said I believed in it, that's why I'm an Atheist.
This is the most honest and true song ever written in my humble opinion.
Welcome to Derry
For my atheist friends who ask the question, "If there is a God why does He allow such HORRIBLE CRAP to happen in this world, especially to innocent people?" finally an answer: God put US here---to look out for each other, to keep an eye on His Creation. If the world is fucked up don't cop out and blame God, blame your fellow man; blame YOURSELF.
***** Unless they were ADULTS; I'm afraid this smacks of COP-OUT to me.
Lord Boxxy You mean to tell me, with a straight face, that people AREN'T responsible for rape, murder, and poverty?! Bill Gates living in a 66,000 square foot house that costs $145 million while people are sleeping on pieces of cardboard in Africa? Do you realize how silly that sounds? While it can be argued that such "natural" events as floods and earthquakes are both unfair and (indirectly, at least) the result of God, blame ever-greedy man for making things worse by building on flood plains or for concrete high-rises in densely-populated cities.
Yes, humans are responsible for AIDS, cancer, tsunamis, super-volcanoes, earthquakes, congenital diseases, asteroid impacts, and the fact that one day the sun will envelope and destroy the Earth.
Oh wait no we aren't. God would be responsible for all that shit
Drake Minaj Not to mention faulty logic (I've already conceded that God is at least indirectly responsible for "natural" occurrences though blame man for most diseases: AIDS from unnatural "procreation" and sharing dirty needles; cancer and various congenital diseases from the polluted environments man creates, including alcohol) bad sarcasm and, judging from your pic, some genetic deficits as well. "Planet of the Apes" understudy?
S.A. Hogan there is obviosly no god and if there was and he put us here to love each other and protect his creation the earth and all living things upon it, well he did a real shit job, must not be so perfect this so called god! humanity creates gods not vice versa
Love how this song caused a stir in the religious community.
Fucking ironic don't you think?
Specially when you consider the number of songs that praise "god".
You better accept your savior jaysus you son of a bitch
GyroLamb "Marryyy!! GryoLamb called you a biiiitch!"
No heaven for you Mister.
This band has absolute balls of steel for making this song when they did. it's powerful
This song, especially the last part, bring tears to my eyes. I know God exists, because human beings created him, and I hate him so deeply when I listen to this song. I hate what we created.
Being an atheist made my life make sense. Knowing that there was nothing except for this life made me realise that I wanted to cling on to it fiercely, and live it as fully as I could.
Becoming a Secular Humanist completed my soul in ways I never thought possible.
I hate the fact that people have to believe in him. I hate the idea of such a cruel, merciless god, and people dying and sacrificing themselves in his name.
How many more lives, dear god, will you take for yourself?
Humans are the authors of their own lives and destinies. I wish I could say things like these all the time, without being accused of superimposing my 'beliefs' on people.
And now I'll return to quietly receive the stray looks from people who think I am mad for not joining the unified delusion, and I'll pretend to be okay with people praying for me to find 'His' love again.
I need not prove my statement. I do not claim the existence of anything, you do.
Show me your proof, and I will believe.
Till then, he just exists in your imagination.
I couldn´t agree more. I am way more satisfied knowing there nothing more than what I do with life, without false expectations and trying to aquire "responses" from magic. Sadly when we express our beliefs, we are the wrong ones and the ones trying to wash people's mind with evolution and science. But it's ok for religious people to come to us trying to open our eyes... I've learned to let people be... if they are happy like that that's ok but I couldn´t.
So beautifully stated, AnaGomez. Thank you.
I screen shotted this. Seriously this is beautiful.
How do you "know"? You cant prove it. You have "faith and hope".
i can't believe people thought this was some kind of declaration of faith at the time lol, one of the most unsubtly atheistic pop songs i've ever heard
+King Matty B Raps Well, yeah...similar things are happening with Hozier's Take me to Church-some are calling it an openly atheistic song, others that it's calling for change, and others' saying it's just a song.
Hozier himself speaks about it being a song about how folks don't just do good-why have people who claim authority 'make' you do good-then profit off of your naivety.
This song, I see as far more complex than one may give it credit. The songwriter is openly atheist, but even he has said that the song is not a call to atheism, so to speak-it's borne more out of sheer frustration. Like 'come on, why the hell can we not get along???' Personally, I agree with it. I find the song wonderful in challenging our frustrations, our anger, our sheer failings as a species. One can pin some of that on religion, but I think it's far more complicated. Like we are inherently programmed to fail.
It's easy to see where Harry get's his absurd sense of humour.
Who?
Harry Partridge, according to Wikipedia, is Andy Partridge's son. Andy is the singer of XTC and Harry is a popular RUclips animator.
AllCanadiaReject Huh, yea, i know who Harry Partridge is.
Yeah thought that was cool when I saw that.
Hey Daniel Sperstad ... It's ANDY PARTRIGDE, buddy...
I go to church every Sunday, confession once a month, fast, and I pray every day. Yet, this is undeniably my absolute favorite song. People might say it's weird I listen to this, but if I don't expose myself to the opinions and viewpoints of those who don't believe in God, then I'm living in a delusional echochamber where God is real because i never heard anybody say He wasn't. The words don't bother me in the slightest
Religious stuff and stuff aside, let us focus on the real issue here. Is he really trying to bring down that tree with hammers?
Yes. He really *is* trying to bring down that tree with hammers.
pretty damned successfully In his defense
andrew sajgo He is merely trying to bring down a few nutters - didn't you watch the movie?
I preferred the kid's singing lol
When man can't explain the mess he is in due to his own undoing it's always mans apathy that lets himself down, not god.
Ask a myth a question yields no answer, look to a myth for guidance and walk the path of mediocrity.
So much passion so much pain at the end. I am not usually into this style of music but this one is an exception.
There is no Dog
paddlepop77 blasphemy! Dog is life! Dog is love!
Sakuragi Rokurouta much deity, such apologetics, very religion, wow
paddlepop77 In the words of the Agnostic, dyslexic, insomniac......" I lie awake all night wondering if there really is a dog".
paddlepop77 Agnostic dyslectic insomnia's at night: "Is there a dog?".
paddlepop77
IT
Tekkcool Gaming same
I see a lot of people saying that is an atheist song but for me sounds like deistic to me
Thank you for sharing this. Incredible video. Had to share with alot of my friends. This song helped shape me into the person that I am today.
Who come to here, after watching it?)
in some way i agree ...
Who tried to find this song after watching the movie "It"
Wow... Just as powerful as I remember it being when I was a 13 year old devout Catholic shedding my religion back in 1987.
Atheist anthem.
Funny how many people that claim they are atheists are really religious deep down ....This song is the perfect example "you always letting us humans down " , i think the artist wrote it with that in mind , it shows how many people even if atheists, really cant comprehend that a deity does not exist and even blame god for everything(that even being the source of their atheism) , they actually reject god and hate him , not really non believers .
funny how wrong you are. Look up the definition of atheism. The people you speak of are not atheists.
***** I know what atheists are , just saying how some people who call themselves atheists reason .
I say the same thing every time I can't get my lawn mower to start but that doesn't mean I think it's alive and can hear me...
The lyrics to this song do not in any way fashion or form even hint that they believe in a god, the lyrics are an attempt to make theists question the motives of the god they *DO* believe in, they begin to question, questions lead to doubt and doubt leads to a more rational way of thinking and then eventually to a state disbelief which in turn eliminates asinine comments like yours....
Assuming you are a smart and halfway educated christian you can easily see that not everything in the bible is literarly true (all the things science disproofed, everything that woul lead to contradictions and the things you don't like to be true), but you take everything an atheist would say, write or listen to in a song as literarely true when it fits your absurd and illogical arguments?
Hypocrit.
This song isn't against religion! It's asking if god exists...why do we suffer on earth with hunger, war, and people using his name in order to make profit. The song makes sense, why believe in God if he lets us down all the time. WHERE IS HIS HELP?
Maybe we're too blind to see the help from God.
Whos here from it?
XTC, thank you for doing this for us!
Dear God, where are you and why are us humans all fucked.
LMFAO
Who came after the movie of IT???
mazeus, same here
Ok, let's just relax and accept that some people, many people, still believe in god while more and more see god as a concept at best and an angry, invisible man in the sky at worst. We won't settle this on youtube, so let's just enjoy some thought-provoking music, then, maybe, just maybe, go read a book or three about religion and consider what it has done for humanity, including The Crusades, The Holocaust, ISIS...
I saw this video when it was released as a 16 year old on a late night music video program. I used to video tape the entire program so I got this same video. It was so profound to me. I already had so many doubts about the existance of God. Having been raised in a very open and progressive yet religious family, I could never beleive in all the non-sensical and contradictory stories of the Bible. This song captured my thoughts that could never speak of to anyone at that time.
I like this song. But unfortunately, it's almost against my my religion.
Maybe that's a sign that your religion is wrong….
Question everything, there is nothing wrong with that.
As a Christian, it supports my religion.
***** It calls a certain conservative conception of God something less than positive and demands answers. That kind of passion often leads to atheists or ministers. In one of the few verses of Revelation worth keeping, a vision of Jesus spits out the person because they were lukewarm, rather than hot or cold. This song is definitely not lukewarm.
***** _Yes but you must also realize that your religion despises so-called "cold" people because we refuse to believe that your god exists._
You understand a narrow, vocal, conservative version of Christianity. That's not your fault. It's our own fault that we didn't effectively counter their message with our own.
One of many problems with the conservative view is that a set of books, written over many centuries, a long time ago, that compiled their best thoughts and arguments, is simple to understand, through and through. Some of it is simple, yet profound: love your neighbor, who is my neighbor? Much is hard enough that it's easy to say that it fits your prejudices perfectly. It doesn't.
In my church, confirmation students have to write a statement of faith and ask to join the church (if they want to). A few years ago, a student basically wrote: I'm very skeptical of miracles. I don't know if God exists. I'd like to join the church to help me find out. Not only was he admitted as a member. The overall mood of the congregation seemed to be excitement. Here was a teen who took these religious questions seriously.
_If he does,_
Not sure why you insist on the male pronoun. In the trinity, which not all Christians profess, there are several reasons to see the Holy Spirit as female.
_and he exists as described in the Bible or Torah, then he despises Atheists with as much passion as he loves Christians._
Conservative view again. Some people see the Bible as an argument between multiple sides, answered by Jesus. In other words, some of the sides in the Bible lost.
Still others see it, somewhat similarly, as a two steps forward, one step back, again eventually answered by Jesus.
Neither of these viewpoints are particularly radical, they just make those that want simple answers uncomfortable. Thoughtful atheists push me. I often see them loving and giving (also less positive things). I don't see how I could love a god that "loved" me for now, yet hated what I might become. I couldn't love a god that despised atheists.
_And anything that rejects your god is propaganda against him. That's just your base belief. It may not be what you personally believe, but that kind of hatred towards anything just because it's different is exactly what the religion you choose to follow preaches._
Uh-huh. You're claiming that your conservative way of understanding the Bible and God is the only way of understanding. If I disagree, it's just my personal belief, you have the real truth. Just because you have made an assertion, doesn't make it true. That kind of illogical argument makes you like many fundamentalists, I'm afraid.
Who came here from IT
Orpoda me
Who's here cause of "IT"
Me
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake...that is beautiful...i love xtc! I always have ..i like this song . but of the two,bible verse or deargod lyrics - guess which will be remembered 2000 years from now