Saint Augustine maintained that all of God's works are good, and that evil exists because of the liberty of man.
Mathematically, if a=b and b=c then a=c.
At first glance, the lyrics of this song would suggest that either God isn't light or that light isn't good, and therefore God isn't good.
But both are relative because "good" is a relative term. Light is good for sunflowers but bad for cave-dwelling salamanders. To argue whether or not God is light is much more abstract, but it remains relative. Thus, one cannot conclude that either statement is positively false.
The first two verses describe evil: poverty and murder. They also present glib solutions (smoking and rehabilitation.) I agree with the previous poster that on a deeper level, the bag-lady asking for a light could be a double-entre, her asking for God.
"Where are you gonna run when they come for you?" is a rather ominous and perplexing refrain. Since Saint Augustine was not a martyr, I believe this is more of a first-person type of question. The first-person perspective is reinforced by the musician himself singing, "They'll hear you playing your guitar."
But who are they, and why are they coming for you?
I see this coming back to logic. The possibilities remaining are that God is good for other reasons (i.e., not because light is good), God is not good, or that God doesn't exist. I don't read anything in the lyrics that suggest that God is good for other reasons.
So, to me, basically this song is saying that you're screwed because God is either not good or doesn't exist.
If you don't pay attention to the lyrics, it's an otherwise upbeat and catchy tune.
Saint Augustine maintained that all of God's works are good, and that evil exists because of the liberty of man.
Mathematically, if a=b and b=c then a=c.
At first glance, the lyrics of this song would suggest that either God isn't light or that light isn't good, and therefore God isn't good.
But both are relative because "good" is a relative term. Light is good for sunflowers but bad for cave-dwelling salamanders. To argue whether or not God is light is much more abstract, but it remains relative. Thus, one cannot conclude that either statement is positively false.
The first two verses describe evil: poverty and murder. They also present glib solutions (smoking and rehabilitation.) I agree with the previous poster that on a deeper level, the bag-lady asking for a light could be a double-entre, her asking for God.
"Where are you gonna run when they come for you?" is a rather ominous and perplexing refrain. Since Saint Augustine was not a martyr, I believe this is more of a first-person type of question. The first-person perspective is reinforced by the musician himself singing, "They'll hear you playing your guitar."
But who are they, and why are they coming for you?
I see this coming back to logic. The possibilities remaining are that God is good for other reasons (i.e., not because light is good), God is not good, or that God doesn't exist. I don't read anything in the lyrics that suggest that God is good for other reasons.
So, to me, basically this song is saying that you're screwed because God is either not good or doesn't exist.
If you don't pay attention to the lyrics, it's an otherwise upbeat and catchy tune.