The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
You're such an inspiration for the ways
That I'll never ever choose to be
Oh so many ways for me to show you
How your savior has abandoned you
Fuck your God
Your Lord and your Christ
He did this
Took all you had and
Left you this way
Still you pray, you never stray
Never taste of the fruit
You never thought to question why
It's not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a hateful spear into his side
Praise the one who left you
Broken down and paralyzed
He did it all for you
He did it all for you
Oh so many many ways for me to show you
How your dogma has abandoned you
Pray to your Christ, to your god
Never taste of the fruit
Never stray, never break
Never choke on a lie
Even though he's the one who did this to you
You never thought to question why
Not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a spiteful spear into his side
Talk to Jesus Christ
As if he knows the reasons why
He did it all for you
Did it all for you
He did it all for you
That I'll never ever choose to be
Oh so many ways for me to show you
How your savior has abandoned you
Fuck your God
Your Lord and your Christ
He did this
Took all you had and
Left you this way
Still you pray, you never stray
Never taste of the fruit
You never thought to question why
It's not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a hateful spear into his side
Praise the one who left you
Broken down and paralyzed
He did it all for you
He did it all for you
Oh so many many ways for me to show you
How your dogma has abandoned you
Pray to your Christ, to your god
Never taste of the fruit
Never stray, never break
Never choke on a lie
Even though he's the one who did this to you
You never thought to question why
Not like you killed someone
It's not like you drove a spiteful spear into his side
Talk to Jesus Christ
As if he knows the reasons why
He did it all for you
Did it all for you
He did it all for you
Lyrics submitted by Jack, edited by jenebee, VaerellisKing, LeMarkyDussod
Judith Lyrics as written by Maynard Keenan Billy Howerdel
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is about Maynard James Keenan's mother, Judith Marie. Judith was paralyzed when Maynard was 11. She stayed paralyzed until she died 10,000 days later. She kept faith in God the whole time. Maynard had quite the hard time accepting his mother's death, and her beliefs, which often conflicted with Maynard's.
Judith is his mothers name. She was religious from the start but not too crazy, then she got hit with an aneurysm that left her 'broken down and paralyzed' for the rest of her life. Instead of making her question her views, it intensified her devotion.
This song is about how baffled Maynard is that not only did this not make her question, but rather reinforced her faith.
I think the true anger in this song is derived from the fact that when she had the aneurysm, she had to spend time in the hospital, leaving Maynard with his abusive stepfather. Her strengthened faith no doubt reinforced her willful ignorance on the subject. I cant imagine how it would feel to have 'the face of my own stability suddenly look away... leaving me with the dead and hopeless' life of being watched over by an abusive parental figure at such an age...
I feel like it is about his mother. Think of the song(s) Wings for Marie part one and two by TOOL. About his mother, being paralyzed for about 10000 days, and how she never waivered on her faith. This may be a hostile version, Maynard may be 'mad' at 'god' for doing this to his mother and angry at the fact that she still believed..? I dunno
also, his mothers name is Judith Marie... so
This song is about Maynard's mother. She was a very religious woman. He is frustrated and is asking why even after becoming paralized, she stuck by her strong beliefs. If her god was so great, why did he abandon her and leave her like that, such a dedicated woman didnt deserve it. He is letting out anger and frustration. As for the tool songs 10,000 days pt 1&2, he actually ends up following in her path after she passed (she was paralized for 27 years, hence 10,000 days.)
@The_Patient27 amen
This song to me is genius. He is asking Judith if there is so much suffering, why do you still believe in a God.
@the Edge @the Edge 16 years ago… What I find so beautiful about her faith is her acceptance. I was reading the book of Job. The Lord quite casually speaks to the angels about Job and his unwavering faith. A demon appeared before God. Lucifer pointed out that no man could remain righteous in the face of losing all they know. God permits Satan to test Job’s faith; to showcase the rock-solid rightness. Job loses everything, and yet he submits to his Father. The demon says that the addition of an affliction will surely push him over ‘the Edge’. Having lost everything and his health, Job prays and begs for answers. His friends, his family, those closest to him, demand that he repent. They say there’s no way he is without sin if he is being punished this way. Job dismisses every single attack made by the enemy. He returns ridicule with ridicule and points out the unbelievably small faith his closest are displaying. Again, turns to God and demanded answers for why he is being punished and forced to suffer. Satan bows out with his sack tucked between his legs and moves on to roam and devour the weakest of the earth. You don’t challenge God. Job was not devoured. The Lord restored Job. Judith was not devoured. When she excepted Christ, she had been restored. Her body may be temporally dead but her Spirit lives eternally.
These comments are real interesting. I can see why many are offended and many like this song. I like the music and the lyrics do offend me because I'm Christian but I think we got to just accept the point Maynard's trying to get across whether he's talking about the real Christian God or if it's a metaphor for something else. We don't have to agree with everything we listen to.
1 Peter 3:15 but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.
@Beowulf_Xtreme Agreed. No need to shove an opinion down anyone's throat.<br /> Maynard has his beliefs and his mother had others.
at aperfectcircle.org, they have meanings for several of their songs. for judith they say "Maynard says this, "It's a real person named Judith. She doesn't know about it. And she never will. Just because of the nature of the song and what I'm speaking about, she won't know... because she won't listen." The religious references are not necessarily literal (I'm going to go out on a limb and note my opinion- i believe very little of Maynard's lyrical work can be classified as literal); the references to "your God" and "your Christ" could mean the biblical God and Christ, but could also simply be a metaphor for someone Judith has been wronged by, but still "worships" and forgives."
@lena Feel the same way about it could also be a metaphor, but using the word Christ also makes ir pretty specific which in the end makes ir harder to listen to.
It's pretty obvious. Consider the fact that he is singing directly to you. Always some sort of excuse or denial. Christ and your God is exactly that.
It's pretty obvious. Consider the fact that he is singing directly to you. Always some sort of excuse or denial. Christ and your God is exactly that.
It's pretty obvious. Consider the fact that he is singing directly to you. Always some sort of excuse or denial. Christ and your God is exactly that.
Although I haven't seen the DVD, Maynard definitely seems to be attacking his mother's faith and making a lot of biblical references throughout the song. For example:
Never taste of the fruit is a reference to Jesus's words in John 15:5 - "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
This is a reference to Jesus's crucifixion. John 19:34 says - "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out."
Clearly Maynard knew his bible very well and uses it to express his anger with God. The irony is that while his mother's faith allowed her to be at peace with her tragedy, obviously he is tormented by it. So her faith still won in the end.
Actually, he never referenced John 15:5. He's naming things she did right and sins she tried to avoid:<br /> Pray to your Christ, to your god<br /> Never taste of the fruit<br /> Never stray, never break<br /> Never choke on a lie <br /> <br /> So in this context he's refering to something bad when he says she 'never taste of the fruit'. It's quite simple, actually. The first sin a committed by a human being was eating from the fruit that was clearly forbidden. eating from this fruit was in direct violation with pretty much the only rule or law they received. Therefore, this was the best way of showing they would either obey and respect their God, or instead oppose him. Eve chose the latter in the hopes of gaining that which was promised to her by Satan; eternal life. This lie still exists today, because the false believe of an indestructible 'soul' is still a widespread dogma for many religions, even though the Bible clearly states the opposite. Adam then had to make a decision: either choose her side and share the punishment of (a delayed) death, or choose the side of the person who made him and gave him the chance to live forever in happiness. For what is probably a wild variety of potential reasons, which we don't know for sure, he chose the side of his wife.<br /> <br /> It's an interesting topic, because this is the first lie ever recorded in human history and it's still probably the most popular lie in today's world, thousands of years later. <br /> But another popular lie told by many religions is the dogma of a so-called destiny or fate, guided by God. As if every single thing that happens in the world and in our personal lives is because God made it so. As if we don't have a free will. As if someone will be punished for doing bad things, or rewarded for doing good things, even though God is the one who made it all happen and forced us to do those things. This is of course a ridiculous lie, but many people firmly believe this nonsensical doctrine, nonetheless. <br /> It's also one of the reasons why Maynard James Keenan is/was so conflicted about bad things happening to good people. He's one of the people who draw the conclusion that God has to be really cruel for doing all of these horrible things, without a clear reason why. He probably believed lies like these, because his mother brought him up teaching him these false truths for many years.<br /> <br /> Either way, there are more people who feel this way, simply because they've never actually read the Bible with a clear and unbiased mind.
@josegee21 This is pretty much my sentiment on the fruit part, except, I was pretty sure that Eve ate the fruit of The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The thought was likely that they would become all-knowing, like God. With a false promise of being equal to God, they were not only tricked by Satan, but banished from the Garden so they would not have access the The Tree of Eternal Life.
@josegee21 darkaquatu, well said. It used to be baffling to me how little Christians know their own book of life.
@josegee21 darkaquatu, well said. It used to be baffling to me how little Christians know their own book of life.
I'm pretty sure this song is Maynard's release of rage at God. Judith was the name of his mother, who was in critical health for a long period whilst always maintaining her faith and praying to get better. Once she passed on, Maynard must have felt that God did this to her and made her suffer even though she was avidly faithful to him.
Its been awhile since sunday school, but if i remember right, judith was enlightened/possessed by god, to betray a general whos armies soon fell to gods armies. This song is brilliant!!! Its from that generals point of view, telling judith about her blind faith.
i completely agree with you if that's what was meant by the song. but otherwise it kinda goes a little far as with the rediculing about God. dont judge me i wont judge you. could you elaborate more im really interested?