In the beginning
We could hang with the dude
But it's been too much of nothing
Of that stank attitude
Now they curse your name
And there's a bounty on your face
It's your own fault daddy
Godwhacker's on the case
We track your almighty ass
Through seven heaven-worlds
Me, Slinky Redfoot
And our trusty angel-girls
And when the stars bleed out
That be the fever of the chase
You better get gone poppie
Godwhacker's on the case
Be very very quiet
Clock everything you see
Little things might matter later
At the start of the end of history
Climb up the glacier
Across bridges of light
We sniff you, Big Tiger
In the forest of the night
Cause there's no escape
From the Rajahs of Erase
You better run run run
Godwhacker's on the case
Be very very quiet
Clock everything you see
Little things might matter later
At the start of the end of history
Yes we are the Godwhackers
Who rip and chop and slice
For crimes beyond imagining
It's time to pay the price
You better step back son
Give the man some whackin' space
You know this might get messy
Godwhacker's on the case
We could hang with the dude
But it's been too much of nothing
Of that stank attitude
Now they curse your name
And there's a bounty on your face
It's your own fault daddy
Godwhacker's on the case
We track your almighty ass
Through seven heaven-worlds
Me, Slinky Redfoot
And our trusty angel-girls
And when the stars bleed out
That be the fever of the chase
You better get gone poppie
Godwhacker's on the case
Be very very quiet
Clock everything you see
Little things might matter later
At the start of the end of history
Climb up the glacier
Across bridges of light
We sniff you, Big Tiger
In the forest of the night
Cause there's no escape
From the Rajahs of Erase
You better run run run
Godwhacker's on the case
Be very very quiet
Clock everything you see
Little things might matter later
At the start of the end of history
Yes we are the Godwhackers
Who rip and chop and slice
For crimes beyond imagining
It's time to pay the price
You better step back son
Give the man some whackin' space
You know this might get messy
Godwhacker's on the case
Lyrics submitted by blackiswhite, edited by SeeBread
Godwhacker Lyrics as written by Walter Becker Donald Fagen
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, O/B/O CAPASSO
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The meaning is surprisingly simple; for Steely Dan anyway.
In Donald Fagen's book Eminent Hipsters (Well worth a read btw) he says:
"One more word about my mother: She died horribly of Alzheimer's. One time, after not seeing her for a while, I visited her in a nursing home in Ohio. As I walked towards her, she stared at me with great interest and then said, "You know, I've always liked you very much." Not long after that, she was gone. How do you like that?
A couple of days later, I started writing a lyric for this song "Godwhacker," which Walter and I completed and recorded for a Steely Dan CD. It's about an elite squad of assasins whose sole assignment is to find a way into heaven and take out God. If the Deity actually existed, what sane person wouldn't consider this to be justifiable homocide?"
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So yeah. The lyrics are kind of straight forward. However it does give a whole new philosophical dimension to the song. The concept of if a God did exist, he surely deserves punished for his blatant lack of care etc.
Whether you agree with the concept or not, or if you just don't care, it still adds a very deep philosophical meaning to the song.
You're right it is an excellent read.
Slinky Redfoot > satan
And our trusty angel-girls > wives of the "sons of God" Genesis 6:2
You better get gone poppie > refers to the pope?
At the start of the end of history > end of the 6th millenium
Who rip and chop and slice"
splendid
The first lyric is "In the Beginning," an obvious reference to Genesis (the book of the bible, not the band!)
A couple of times they refer to the target with paternal words ("daddy", "poppie") meaning God the Father.
"Slinky redfoot" is satan.
Also, the theme of the entire album (_Everything Must Go_) is ending, so what better topic than the end of history?
No, this song isn't allegorical at all - it's Manichaean fantasy, the story of a pair of cosmic Super Flys who hunt down a god (lower case) guilty of "crimes beyond imagining," and then treat him like the cook at Benihana treats a cut of wagyu steak. Although the tagline "at the start of the end of history" tempts the listener to believe he's listening to an allegory of post-Cold War politics, this is just Fagen and Becker doing riffs on Gnosticism. Again.
It's time to pay the price" all the lives claimed by others in his name. Good song and the keyboard/guitar solos are amazing