Attempts to draw a distinction between religious and romantic topics with works by Martin Gore can be a misguided effort: he self-professedly writes songs in a way that blurs the line between the two themes (ie: 'World In My Eyes' according to Gore is a profession that sex and faith are one in the same, that "sex is not a bad thing").
Personally I interpret 'Judas' as an answer from God to Man's prayers, delivered in a way much like a conversation one would have with an unfaithful or troubled lover, someone He loves enough to console lovingly and criticize sarcastically; to offer salvation to, or a solution to his or her problems.
He accusingly and humorously mocks Man's modern ideas and adages:
"Is simplicity best"
Or simply the easiest?
He offers insight:
The narrowest path
Is always the holiest
He offers us the way to achieve His love, or the 'solution' to his lover's romantic problems:
So walk on barefoot for me - Set yourself aside; let go; live selflessly
Suffer some misery - Grow up; lose your naivete
If you want my love
He simplistically and truthfully speaks to ease mankind's constant anxieties and fears (this is a timeless verse in that it will always be applicable to us -- we will always have our mundane, forgettable daily anxieties, be them of dying alone, terrorism, climate change) with His divine insight. He tries to quell his lover's anxieties so she will relax:
Man will survive
The harshest conditions
And stay alive
Through difficult decisions
So that she will have the ability ("You have the ability" - Get Right With Me) to make a decision with a clarity of thought and a strong conviction and accept Him, to go out of her way to be worthy of His love:
So make up your mind for me
Walk the line for me
If you want my love
He criticizes His lover as hypocritical, conniving, unfaithful. He condemns all of mankind like a gilted lover would: You say one thing but do another, you do not keep the promises you make. You are dishonest, selfish, you doubt me.
Idle talk
And hollow promises
Cheating Judases
Doubting Thomases
If you want my love:
Don't just stand there and shout it
Do something about it
Attempts to draw a distinction between religious and romantic topics with works by Martin Gore can be a misguided effort: he self-professedly writes songs in a way that blurs the line between the two themes (ie: 'World In My Eyes' according to Gore is a profession that sex and faith are one in the same, that "sex is not a bad thing").
Personally I interpret 'Judas' as an answer from God to Man's prayers, delivered in a way much like a conversation one would have with an unfaithful or troubled lover, someone He loves enough to console lovingly and criticize sarcastically; to offer salvation to, or a solution to his or her problems.
He accusingly and humorously mocks Man's modern ideas and adages:
"Is simplicity best" Or simply the easiest?
He offers insight:
The narrowest path Is always the holiest
He offers us the way to achieve His love, or the 'solution' to his lover's romantic problems:
So walk on barefoot for me - Set yourself aside; let go; live selflessly Suffer some misery - Grow up; lose your naivete If you want my love
He simplistically and truthfully speaks to ease mankind's constant anxieties and fears (this is a timeless verse in that it will always be applicable to us -- we will always have our mundane, forgettable daily anxieties, be them of dying alone, terrorism, climate change) with His divine insight. He tries to quell his lover's anxieties so she will relax:
Man will survive The harshest conditions And stay alive Through difficult decisions
So that she will have the ability ("You have the ability" - Get Right With Me) to make a decision with a clarity of thought and a strong conviction and accept Him, to go out of her way to be worthy of His love:
So make up your mind for me Walk the line for me If you want my love
He criticizes His lover as hypocritical, conniving, unfaithful. He condemns all of mankind like a gilted lover would: You say one thing but do another, you do not keep the promises you make. You are dishonest, selfish, you doubt me.
Idle talk And hollow promises Cheating Judases Doubting Thomases
If you want my love:
Don't just stand there and shout it Do something about it