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.
Pride you took Pride you feel
Pride that you felt when you'd kneel
Not the word, not the love
Not what you thought from above
It feeds it grows
It clouds all that you will know
Deceit deceive
Decide just what you believe
I see faith in your eyes
Never your hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
Find your peace
Find your say
Find the smooth road in your way
Trust you gave
A child to save
Left you cold and him in grave
It feeds it grows
It clouds all that you will know
Deceit deceive
Decide just what you believe
I see faith in your eyes
Never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
I see faith in your eyes
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
Pride you took pride you feel
Pride that you felt when you'd kneel
Trust you gave a child to save
Left you cold and him in grave
I see faith in your eyes
Never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
Follow the god that failed
Broken is the promise, betrayal, betrayal yeah
Pride that you felt when you'd kneel
Not the word, not the love
Not what you thought from above
It feeds it grows
It clouds all that you will know
Deceit deceive
Decide just what you believe
I see faith in your eyes
Never your hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
Find your peace
Find your say
Find the smooth road in your way
Trust you gave
A child to save
Left you cold and him in grave
It feeds it grows
It clouds all that you will know
Deceit deceive
Decide just what you believe
I see faith in your eyes
Never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
I see faith in your eyes
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
Pride you took pride you feel
Pride that you felt when you'd kneel
Trust you gave a child to save
Left you cold and him in grave
I see faith in your eyes
Never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
Follow the god that failed
Broken is the promise, betrayal, betrayal yeah
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These lyrics are good! it IS about James' mother who died from cancer because she was a christian scientist and she believed god would heal her and died, but the lyric about "Trust you gave; a child to save; left you cold and him in grave" COULD mean James, that because of his mother's trust in god to heal her and she left him alone when she died and a part of the child that believed in god died in him too... "I hear faith in your cries" explains whilst she cried in pain, she had faith that didn't save her...anyway that's what I think
@UnForGiven A lot of people think this song is just against Christianity, it's not. The "god" of christian science is not the same as the God of actual Christianity, and christian science is a religion while Christianity is not(at least in my Christian opinion.) So the god that failed is not The Lord God of Christianity but the fake idol "god" of christian science.