This song has dick-all to do with Obama. It's about the way that the band sees reality. There are many people that literally believe that all is one. We're all just incarnations of an infinite, perfect being experiencing itself subjectively so that it can understand imperfection. This belief gives a rational basis to many of the things that Jesus said and did. "I and the Father are one" - since oneness is the nature of all reality this makes perfect sense. When PTM sing of "you are the one they call Jesus Christ" they are talking to you; literally. You and the Father are one also - you just don't realize it. Jesus did. Whether or not this is true of not is basically unprovable "there may not be a heaven or a place in which to send you buy you know that end the end there's a madness in us all."
Now take this worldview and idea of Jesus and compare it to what gets passed around as Christianity in America nowadays. To be a "Real American Christian" one need only be white and say the words "praise Jesus" - actually acting like Jesus is hippie-liberal bullshit. The singer sees so many Sarah Palin-style Christians (they are from the same town ya know) glorifying war, despising the poor and using their faith in Jesus as justification to hate people. The whole tone of the song isn't one of anger though - it's one of bemusement and pity. "You think you're so American." He's seeing people who are not seeing. "There's two eyes for every one of us, but someone got there first and took them all." He's saying that the ability to become realized, to feel that love and connection that comes with it is within us all if we could just see, but we're raised to conform to a culture that has lost its way.
Very well said. When you brought up Sarah Palin it reminded me of an old blog post about her. John Gourley tells a story about when he was young, when he was first taught that the classic American lifestyle of wanting more of everything is not at all necessary. Now 4 years later they write this song, and it really sends chills down my spine to know that this song has been in John's heart for years and years and he is finally able to share his opinion with the rest of the country, and hopefully the rest of the...
Very well said. When you brought up Sarah Palin it reminded me of an old blog post about her. John Gourley tells a story about when he was young, when he was first taught that the classic American lifestyle of wanting more of everything is not at all necessary. Now 4 years later they write this song, and it really sends chills down my spine to know that this song has been in John's heart for years and years and he is finally able to share his opinion with the rest of the country, and hopefully the rest of the world. He is our generations Bob Dylan, of that there is no doubt.
http://www.myspace.com/portugaltheman/blog/430416200
@smcgov A bit late, but you're pretty fortunate. I wouldn't single it out to just Christians, but a very large portion of American mainstream media does nothing but glorify war and hatred on a daily basis. Just recently, "American Sniper" came to theaters, glorifying a man who, according to him in his own book, wanted to kill every single Iraqi man, woman, and child he could.
@smcgov A bit late, but you're pretty fortunate. I wouldn't single it out to just Christians, but a very large portion of American mainstream media does nothing but glorify war and hatred on a daily basis. Just recently, "American Sniper" came to theaters, glorifying a man who, according to him in his own book, wanted to kill every single Iraqi man, woman, and child he could.
As for despising the poor, you'd only need to take a look at our government at large.
As for despising the poor, you'd only need to take a look at our government at large.
I believe that there are many, MANY good people out there, Christian or not. I...
I believe that there are many, MANY good people out there, Christian or not. I also believe this song aims more towards our "Conservative Christian" side of government and their faults more than anyone else.
This song has dick-all to do with Obama. It's about the way that the band sees reality. There are many people that literally believe that all is one. We're all just incarnations of an infinite, perfect being experiencing itself subjectively so that it can understand imperfection. This belief gives a rational basis to many of the things that Jesus said and did. "I and the Father are one" - since oneness is the nature of all reality this makes perfect sense. When PTM sing of "you are the one they call Jesus Christ" they are talking to you; literally. You and the Father are one also - you just don't realize it. Jesus did. Whether or not this is true of not is basically unprovable "there may not be a heaven or a place in which to send you buy you know that end the end there's a madness in us all."
Now take this worldview and idea of Jesus and compare it to what gets passed around as Christianity in America nowadays. To be a "Real American Christian" one need only be white and say the words "praise Jesus" - actually acting like Jesus is hippie-liberal bullshit. The singer sees so many Sarah Palin-style Christians (they are from the same town ya know) glorifying war, despising the poor and using their faith in Jesus as justification to hate people. The whole tone of the song isn't one of anger though - it's one of bemusement and pity. "You think you're so American." He's seeing people who are not seeing. "There's two eyes for every one of us, but someone got there first and took them all." He's saying that the ability to become realized, to feel that love and connection that comes with it is within us all if we could just see, but we're raised to conform to a culture that has lost its way.
Very well said. When you brought up Sarah Palin it reminded me of an old blog post about her. John Gourley tells a story about when he was young, when he was first taught that the classic American lifestyle of wanting more of everything is not at all necessary. Now 4 years later they write this song, and it really sends chills down my spine to know that this song has been in John's heart for years and years and he is finally able to share his opinion with the rest of the country, and hopefully the rest of the...
Very well said. When you brought up Sarah Palin it reminded me of an old blog post about her. John Gourley tells a story about when he was young, when he was first taught that the classic American lifestyle of wanting more of everything is not at all necessary. Now 4 years later they write this song, and it really sends chills down my spine to know that this song has been in John's heart for years and years and he is finally able to share his opinion with the rest of the country, and hopefully the rest of the world. He is our generations Bob Dylan, of that there is no doubt. http://www.myspace.com/portugaltheman/blog/430416200
I haven't met a single Christian in my life glorifying war or despising the poor, actually quite the contrary.
I haven't met a single Christian in my life glorifying war or despising the poor, actually quite the contrary.
@smcgov A bit late, but you're pretty fortunate. I wouldn't single it out to just Christians, but a very large portion of American mainstream media does nothing but glorify war and hatred on a daily basis. Just recently, "American Sniper" came to theaters, glorifying a man who, according to him in his own book, wanted to kill every single Iraqi man, woman, and child he could.
@smcgov A bit late, but you're pretty fortunate. I wouldn't single it out to just Christians, but a very large portion of American mainstream media does nothing but glorify war and hatred on a daily basis. Just recently, "American Sniper" came to theaters, glorifying a man who, according to him in his own book, wanted to kill every single Iraqi man, woman, and child he could.
As for despising the poor, you'd only need to take a look at our government at large.
As for despising the poor, you'd only need to take a look at our government at large.
I believe that there are many, MANY good people out there, Christian or not. I...
I believe that there are many, MANY good people out there, Christian or not. I also believe this song aims more towards our "Conservative Christian" side of government and their faults more than anyone else.