This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
God made the automobile to pass all the pretty girls
The smoke by the side of the road, the blues lovin' boys in tow
To drive to the end of the day and bow to a borrowed flag
To ride all the brave and the blind, and men without men in mind
To pass all the things He made and then never bothered to name
And no one will tell the truth, and no one will hide it from you
Like birds around the grave
God made the automobile and I made a little boy
To pass on the blissfully young, the snake with a forked tongue
To praise on the wanting for time, and makes in the sleepless waves
The fear of the Black and the Jew, and blood for the camera crew
And passes the things He made and then never bothered to name
And no one can tell the truth, and no one can hide it from you
Like birds around the grave
The smoke by the side of the road, the blues lovin' boys in tow
To drive to the end of the day and bow to a borrowed flag
To ride all the brave and the blind, and men without men in mind
To pass all the things He made and then never bothered to name
And no one will tell the truth, and no one will hide it from you
Like birds around the grave
God made the automobile and I made a little boy
To pass on the blissfully young, the snake with a forked tongue
To praise on the wanting for time, and makes in the sleepless waves
The fear of the Black and the Jew, and blood for the camera crew
And passes the things He made and then never bothered to name
And no one can tell the truth, and no one can hide it from you
Like birds around the grave
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher, edited by BlimeyMe
God Made the Automobile Lyrics as written by Samuel Ervin Beam
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I'll be the first to admit that I don't fully comprehend this song, but I've always gotten the impression that it was commentary on Southern culture and racism. It's important to remember that Sam Beam grew up in Columbia, SC. I think so much of his music deals with the conflicted feelings of growing up in the South. He clearly loves the South.His musical stylings are born of a Southern folk tradition. His lyrics carry a very Southern flavor, i.e. "This Solemn Day" and "Calm on the Valley". Yet the things he loves about the South are inseparably coupled with blatant hypocrisy and gross injustice.
I think the "borrowed flag" mentioned in the first stanza refers to the Confederate Battle Flag, aka "the rebel flag". The Battle Flag was intended to represent the belief that the states' right of self-determination takes precedence over federal authority, but over time has been misconstrued or "borrowed" to represent racism and "redneckism" (I can't think of a better term). The line "the fear of the Black and the Jew, and blood for the camera crew" also points to racial issues.
Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.
I'd say its definitely not sarcasm. I think this song is primarily pointing to the fact that reality (all of God's creation) is at its core not subject to concepts or judgments. The terrible things are inseparable from the wonderful things and are really only "terrible" or "wonderful" as much as we attach those ideas to them.
I would paraphrase the chorus as "The world is as it is, God never bothered to name a thing, and the truth cannot be spoken but only experienced for yourself"
Very Zen.
I'm pretty sure the lyrics for the first verse are this:
God made the automobile to pass all the pretty girls That smoke by the side of the road, their blues loving boys in tow To drive till the end of the day and bow to a borrowed flag Beside all the brave and the blind, and men without men in mind
They are just minor differences but I think they could be significant when interpreting the lyrics. Which I'm not doing, because I'm clueless about the meaning to this song.
I don't think it is sarcasm. It seems to be more of a statement against that theistic view. The line "God made the automobile and I made a little boy", couldn't be the other way around, because it's HIS kid. God either made both, or neither. He says, throughout the whole song, that this creation leads to so many terrible things. It's interesting that his claims about these things are very negative, it ironically seems to be more about either God's or man's wrong doings and destruction, not their creations.
God made the automobile...to ride all the brave and the blind, and men without men in mind.
I think he is also referring to mankind as God. As you said, not being sarcastic, just placing the blame squarely on ourselves.
Agree with mtndew00...
"And no one will tell the truth, and no one will hide it from you ... And no one can tell the truth, and no one can hide it from you Like birds around the grave"
Such beautiful lines. People won't tell the truth, nor can they. We have our ideas, and our names, and our borrowed symbols....all lies. But they also can't hide the truth from you. You're free to see God's nameless creations as they are.
This is also a line speaking to the bastard child. Growing up he'll know he's fatherless. Nobody will tell him, but nobody can hide it from him either.
KEskimo is correct on the lyric correction. Also in the third stanza, "to pass on the blissfully young" should be "to pass ALL the blissfully young".
My very favorite lyrics of all time are in this song. Such poignant feeling, and without the least bit of pretense or guile. Beam is a courageous a writer as any I've known. For a blonde southern white man to so delicately voice notions that could easily have been misunderstood and rendered him as a bigot takes true character and vision, and the confidence in his convictions. This song made me want to be a song writer again, and I am forever grateful for that. And people never tell you the truth, nor do they hide it. Like Birds. ....
I love how he uses Sarcasm...... Of course God did not make the automobile...instead he uses it as sarcasm....cuz all we can do is blame god for everything and not ourselves... hence God made the Automobile and I made A little boy....it should be the other way around.....