Told You So

I agree with you guys. It could be about many things, but i think they make it kind of clear about religion. It sounds pretty straightforward, the use of "brothers" and "sisters", "higher than the tall church spire"..I even thought "it's too obvious to be it", but in the end, yeah, i think it's criticizing religion in the way people take it - I love straightforward lyrics for a change.

I think it's mainly about two things: First: how religion has been forever derived from its basic premises and used for the sake of war and oppression, with an especial note to "modern times". "Something went wrong Along the way"

And second: how prophecies can be made to fit present events in such a blind way that if we had an apocalypse from a nuclear war influenced by religion, they would say "that's how it should be, it's all written" "Everybody's waiting for Judgment day"

Then there's a joke about waiting for these prophecies in "Waiting and waiting For an overdue sign". It's all very sarcastic. I can't help but think about those old weirdoes wearing "The end is near - this time is for good" signs.

"Playing Chinese whispers" (which is that whispering game also called "telephone") is another nice joke about how religious teachings, as they're passed through generations, get more and more distorted to fit their times and the ambitions of the people. That includes forgetting about compassion and other things that wouldn't fit your lifestyle.. "If things aren't suited..Then they'll get diluted"

And the line "Sights set higher than the tall church spire", to me is about the singer using the music as the "gun of itching desire", which he will finally fire, taller than any church and say what he thinks.

And the music extremely nice, can't stop listening to it.

This is a take on Blake's "Jerusalem," a poem traditionally recited as a hymn in the Church of England. Gore turns the poem into a critique of self-righteous people who seek to judge others for decisions because, per their religion, they believe they are right. The song employs irony--the notion that ideas are justification enough to kill for, despite them being in direct defiance of the rules of Christianity--and thus reflects the tradition of singing "Jerusalem" on St. George's Day. St. George himself was a martyr, killed by the Romans for refusing to recant his Christian faith, and was the patron saint of the Crusaders, who killed millions in the name of the Christian God.

great song... but to LongLive, the democrats arent the ones trying to abolish gay marriage...

No comments? Oh my god!

OK this song is obviously about how peole think they know what's best for everyone and try to interfere with how poeople live their lives (ie. Democrats want to abolish gay marriage because they think that's what religion wants). They are 'waiting for judgement day to say told you so' because they have no solid proof now exept for the loose words-treated-as-fact in the bible.

I'm sure this is sarcastically said since songs (such as Blasphemous Rumours) by Depeche mode have portrayed taking religion too seriously as a joke.

So anyway, this is an awesome FUCK YOU to those who claim to have the answers to god's wants and try to make people succumb to their views.

I defenitly agree, I was going to comment but I decided to listen to the song more! I love the beat in the beginning, and the last verse summed it up.

"There's one more dead with a hole in his head He shouldn't have said all the things he said"

"There's one more dead, with a hole in his head...." This is like the best 30 seconds of music done by anyone, even DM. It's like carnival music. Something out of the X-Files (or would later be), and it's just downright crazy sounding. I think it lends meaning to the song.
To me this song is making fun of war, especially religious ones (arent they all?). And how it's basically a circus. I dunno. It's just what I personally grasp.

I think the song its about When people die there is test everyone has to take before you go to heaven or hell!! I met martin in 2007 i forget to ask him but i think this what it means!!

I just want to thank everyone here for giving their analysis of the lyrics. For a project in my English class I had to compare any two pieces of literature so I chose to compare this song to the poem "Assisi" by Norman MacCaig. These comments really spurred me on in that front. So thank you.