You are the essence of a life that needs to pray
You are the shadow of a man that bleeds away
You are the hopes and fears that bind us to return
You are the shattered dream that frightens us to burn

Jesus Christ - Vengance is mine
Jesus Christ - Leave them behind
Jesus Christ - Vengance is mine
Jesus Christ - Please, leave them to die

You are the reason for the wars that plague the land
You are the symbol for the cause in which they stand
You are the one who sits there watching as they die
You are the son of man that listens as they cry

Jesus Christ - Vengance is mine
Jesus Christ - Leave them behind
Jesus Christ - Vengance is mine
Jesus Christ - Please, leave them to die

Are you are the man who said to turn the other cheek?
Are you the one for this appears to be the weak?
Are you to lift us from this silent found rebirth?
Are you to take us from this stench that fills the earth?

Jesus Christ - Vengance is mine
Jesus Christ - Leave them behind
Jesus Christ - Vengance is mine
Jesus Christ - Please, leave them to die
Bring them to life

Without hate, without pain
Without suffering insane
Without death, without fire
Without lies that feed the liar
Without war, without games
Without fear to take the blame
Without fame, without power
Without drugs to heal the coward
Without violence, without rape
Without sickness, without plagues
Without judgement, without crime
Without hope, without time
Without two, without three
Without torture over belief
Bring us love
Let us see
Set us Free


Lyrics submitted by RevelationTravis

Jesus Christ Lyrics as written by Dave Evans Adam Clayton

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Jesus Christ song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

8 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is a song about Jesus Christ, as the lyrics say. Very powerfull song.

    RevelationTravison September 03, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I like the way the point of view shifts here... (if you compare the verses)

    patryxdethon January 25, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I agree patryxdeth. It's an unusual interpretation of Jesus as I see it. Christian? Anti-christian?

    'You are the reason for the wars that plague the land You are the symbol for the cause in which they stand You are the one who sits there watching as they die You are the son of man that listens as they cry'

    This sounds like Eric is talking about Jesus being the son of a man (God) who doesn't seem to help by cleaning people of their sins, but do quite the opposite by causing famine and disasters.

    'Are you the man who said to turn the other cheek? Are you the one for this appears to be the weak? Are you to lift us from this silent found rebirth? Are you to take us from this stench that fills the earth?'

    And that sounds like Eric is patronizing God, saying that he is simply a hypocrite who told US to pray and US to toil about religion, where he should in fact be 'setting an example', I guess you could say, instead of causing all this havoc.

    'Bring us love Let us see Set us Free'

    That part totally turns the song around though. Unless 'Let us see' means that Jesus or God should prove that he exists and does take us under his wing when we die, so people have reason to believe in him. Eh, confusing. Good old Eric Clayton and his metaphors. Keep enriching our airwaves Saviour Machine \m/

    demon_of_the_fallon November 07, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Well, Saviour Machine is very Christian, so I don't see this as Eric criticizing God. Although, he could be speaking AS a non-believer in this song.

    TheHorseDontCareon August 29, 2007   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    You know at first I thought the same thing... that Eric may have been frustrated with God or Jesus The Christ.

    I now look at it like this: Eric seems to sing a lot about the end. The apocalypse. I think in this song he is really saying that he is frustrated with the world. All the violence, lies, pain, feelings of insanity, drugs to heal the cowards, etc. etc. I think he is voicing that he is ready for the end to come, that he's ready for the rapture. That he's ready for the last chance, to choose between good and evil. To be ascended into Heaven or descended into hell.

    peteTHEheaton March 13, 2009   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    While "Bring them to life" is definitely the turning point in the song, I believe that the key point is actually "Without torture over belief".

    My interpretation is that the song is about a person that suffers persecution for being a Christian. The arguments used in it are the exact arguments that a atheist or anti-christian person uses to criticize our faith in Jesus, our Saviour. With that said, I believe the person quotes those who make him/her suffer while speaking to Christ, and enraged, asks for vengeance to Him, by leaving them behin, leaving them to die. And by asking it, he/she realizes how wrong he/she is and remembers when Christ said to love his/her neighbour as him/herself, and asks to God to bring them to life.

    He then, remembers the Promise that one day, we will be with Him. And where we'll be, there won't be hate, pain, suffering, insanity, death, fire (of hell), lies that feed the liar (the Antichrist), war, games, fear, fame, power, drugs, violence, rape, sickness, plagues, judgement, crimes, hope (we will be with God, there's nothing else to hope), time (for eternity will be ours. Amen!), two or three (for we will be one with Christ. Amen!), and finally, torture over belief, the reason of his/her suffering.

    Then, he/she asks to Jesus to bring us love, not only for the ones that persecute him/her, but also for him/herself, as he/she realizes that he/she also needs it. He/she also asks for all of us to see (the light? the way? God himself?) and to set us free (from this world).

    That's my interpretation, and I'm sorry if I couldn't make myself clear, English is not my native tongue.

    Peace.

    IntoTheNarrowGateon November 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love Jesus Christ!!!!1!!!11!!!one!!!!111!!!!eleven!1!!!!one thousand one hundred eleven!!!11!!!!1111!!!1111!111111111!!!!

    quizzlequesteron March 30, 2006   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I\'ve had literal decades to contemplate the meaning of this song and I feel like it is a song has dual meanings. The first is the more face value one about a non-believer rationalizing Christ. At first they are questioning him and doubting him. \n\nBasically saying "How can you claim to be this savior when all I see is religious wars, persecutions and death"? "You have the power to stop it and yet it persists"! \n\n Their viewpoint of Christ is not of the peaceful, loving God that Christ represents in the New Testament, but the vengeful, wrathful God that is present throughout the Old Testament. The "Please leave them behind/to die" line is indicative of this, basically saying "leave people alone because your very presence is causing everyone to suffer". \n\n They then begin to bargain with God via a test "Bring Them To Life". "Reverse all of this pestilence and corruption, famine, hatred and suffering; change their very hearts and maybe you might actually be who you claim to be"! "If you do this we will all know who the true God is and believe in you and be set free"!\n\nI feel like the second meaning is trying to magnify to the church that this is the perspective of those who you are trying to convert and that in order to help them find their way to Christ you have to understand all of the significant, valid perspectives those people have that keep them from understanding why those things are allowed to happen. They don\'t understand why the believers in Christ are willing to fight and die in his name. They need miracles and signs and things they can see and quantify because "faith" is a completely foreign concept to them. That is why we as believers must always be cognizant of our actions because they mean so much to those who are foreign to our beliefs and one wrong step could cost a soul their eternity in heaven!

    chris11033on February 09, 2022   Link

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!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Album art
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.