Dear God (Sincerly M.O.F.) Lyrics
Dear god, I see your face in all I do
Sometimes it's so hard to believe in
Good god I know you have your reasons
Dear god I see you moving trees
Sometimes it's nothing to believe in
Sometimes it's everything I see
And I've been breaking it down without an answer
I know I'm thinking aloud but if your loves
Still around why do we suffer?
Why do we suffer?
How strange sometimes I feel I almost do
And then I'm back behind the glass again
Oh god what keeps you out it keeps me in
And I've been breaking down without an answer
I know I'm thinking aloud but if your loves
Still around why do we suffer?
Why do we suffer?
One reason I like this song so much is that it means whatever you want it to mean. I am a believer and it is perfectly natural to have doubts about God, like, why is there suffering if God loves us? This song is about observing truths (like the fact that there is suffering, and that believers claim God is all-loving and all-knowing) but doesn't lead to one conclusion or another. To believers, this song is about staying faithful even when life gives us doubts. To Atheists, it's just reiterating the viewpoint that God doesn't exist.
And besides, the song is beautiful.
You guys are all obsessed with Conor, and sure he is cool but this band is nothing without Jim James. Conor has nothing on Jim's guitar or voice. And Conor was way better as an obnoxious Atheist.
oh, he still is.
oh, he still is.
"I wish that I could touch you" doesn't seem too different from "and my absent god" way back from Waste Of Paint. you can argue that he's trying from the next line, but then he's "behind the glass again", due to his failure in believing in god and "what keeps you out it keeps me in", inconciliable ideological differences between Conor's views and the concept of god.
"I wish that I could touch you" doesn't seem too different from "and my absent god" way back from Waste Of Paint. you can argue that he's trying from the next line, but then he's "behind the glass again", due to his failure in believing in god and "what keeps you out it keeps me in", inconciliable ideological differences between Conor's views and the concept of god.
anyway, this is a great song. conceptually, I love that the verses represent thoughts from a doubting believer (James), a doubting agnostic...
anyway, this is a great song. conceptually, I love that the verses represent thoughts from a doubting believer (James), a doubting agnostic (Ward), and a douting atheist (Conor). And the fact that the opener for Monsters Of Folk was anything but folk. this record is quality music. haven't heard a record so well produced in quite a while.
i dont know guys. i feel like yes, they are recognizing a god, but its not in a praising kind of way. so conor's atheistic ways could still be incorporated. the song is questioning why he's even "around," if all we do is suffer.
i dunno, just how i took it.
I agree with you completely, to me this is a commentary on how man obsesses over the concept of God and how we see or precieve our own versions of what God is.
I agree with you completely, to me this is a commentary on how man obsesses over the concept of God and how we see or precieve our own versions of what God is.
It's not a horrible song it's just not the style of music you expect out of these guys. Also I never really knew Conor to be an Atheist, maybe Agnostic. I wouldn't hold it against him if he's Atheist he's undoubtedly the greatest songwriter out there today but being Atheist and flat out not believing in any higher power what so ever is such an radical way of thinking and kind of depressing really. In the song Road to Joy he says "My parents they have there religion but sleep in separate houses" which might be thought of as Atheist but I thought of it as more of a stab against Hypocritical Evangelists. Also in the song I'll never be happy again he talks of Lions Laying down with Lambs and skeletons coming back to life which is straight from the book of revelations in the bible so he's apparently been to church or at least read some of the bible. Another lyric that i like allot is from The Mystic Valley Band's Nicorette when he says "There's nothing more sad then a lynching mob for the rational man who believes in God" which says to me it's not a black and white situation and it's okay to believe in god but not take every last word of the bible literally and still question things kind of like in the movie Dogma, after all even Mother Teresa questioned her faith at different points of her life.
Finally, a MOF song with a decent portion dedicated to Conor's hauntingly beautiful voice..
vocals are equally split between the three, haha
vocals are equally split between the three, haha
On second thought.. it was too short. I hope there are a couple songs with mainly conor's vocals :) Great song nonetheless.
He's the only vocal in the track 'Say Please'
He's the only vocal in the track 'Say Please'
No he isn't...they all vocal in "Say Please" Conor's parts in that song aren't even long... to be honest i only want to hear him lol
No he isn't...they all vocal in "Say Please" Conor's parts in that song aren't even long... to be honest i only want to hear him lol
Agreed. Always glad to hear Conor.. Plus a song that's more thoughtful than his most recent stuff. I'm excited to hear M's stuff too, so far so good.. :)
It seems like a lot of people don't like the music to this (not on here, just in general)...I like it musically, but lyrically I think it could be better. It doesn't really compare with XTC's Dear God for me. I mean..."I know you have your reasons?"
XTC's lyrics are somewhat more pointed and complex, true. And it's a great song. But I think that this is a comparison of apples and oranges. Same title ... very different musical approaches.
XTC's lyrics are somewhat more pointed and complex, true. And it's a great song. But I think that this is a comparison of apples and oranges. Same title ... very different musical approaches.
i honestly was surprised to hear conor singing about god. because he used to be openly atheist and such a harsh critic of christianity. but he did have some sort of a spiritual awakening over the past few years after visiting cassadaga. :)
Well, earlier this year he said in an interview with Rolling Stone that he doesn't necessarily believe in god, and that he thought believing in Christianity/Judaism/Islam takes a huge suspension of disbelief. (That's a paraphrase, not a quote). That doesn't really make this song better though.
Well, earlier this year he said in an interview with Rolling Stone that he doesn't necessarily believe in god, and that he thought believing in Christianity/Judaism/Islam takes a huge suspension of disbelief. (That's a paraphrase, not a quote). That doesn't really make this song better though.
I don't see how this song isn't a harsh criticism of religion and/or god? More specifically the Christian god that is toted as omniscient, omnibenevolent, and omnipotent, and yet suffering exists. This is a song about the problem of evil. In that light I don't understand your objection.
I don't see how this song isn't a harsh criticism of religion and/or god? More specifically the Christian god that is toted as omniscient, omnibenevolent, and omnipotent, and yet suffering exists. This is a song about the problem of evil. In that light I don't understand your objection.
the entire album is genius. i've been following Conor since A Collection of Songs and i've loved everything he's ever done. when i found out that Bright Eyes was breaking up i nearly cried but then a friend of mine told me she'd heard a rumor about Conor and Mike working on a side project with M. Ward.
i really love this song. anyone can relate to the lyrics and their voices melding together is fantastic.
:]
Does anybody hear a hint of tribute to George Harrison's My Sweet Lord?
I love me some Conor... and the last time I heard him on a Supergroup track was on Jenny Lewis' Handle Me With Care (with Conor, Ben and Matt).. That was also a Harrison B-side on "This is Love", but was released by a different band.. a bunch of nobody's aka Bob, Tom, Roy and Jeff.
Does anybody hear a hint of tribute to George Harrison's My Sweet Lord?
I love me some Conor... and the last time I heard him on a Supergroup track was on Jenny Lewis' Handle Me With Care (with Conor, Ben and Matt).. That was also a Harrison B-side on "This is Love", but was released by a different band.. a bunch of nobody's aka Bob, Tom, Roy and Jeff.