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?"
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.
@thebassman95 I was just coming to post this. It seems that Fagen was devastated by the loss of his mother. I guess he felt anyone that allowed the amount of suffering she went through, and the suffering of those who loved her went through, was evil.
@thebassman95 I was just coming to post this. It seems that Fagen was devastated by the loss of his mother. I guess he felt anyone that allowed the amount of suffering she went through, and the suffering of those who loved her went through, was evil.
Brilliant song, one of my favorites.
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?"
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.
@thebassman95 I was just coming to post this. It seems that Fagen was devastated by the loss of his mother. I guess he felt anyone that allowed the amount of suffering she went through, and the suffering of those who loved her went through, was evil.
@thebassman95 I was just coming to post this. It seems that Fagen was devastated by the loss of his mother. I guess he felt anyone that allowed the amount of suffering she went through, and the suffering of those who loved her went through, was evil.
You're right it is an excellent read.
You're right it is an excellent read.