Thursday, November 26, 2009
Regina Spektor - Laughing With
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor
No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet
No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken
No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say "We've got some bad new, sir,"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke
God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for
No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke
God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God
What's your take on the lyrics?
I think what Regina Spektor is trying to say through this song is that skeptics are always laughing at God. Mocking him and his powers, that he is non-existent. Tearing down the concept of God. But when things get serious, life-threatening, when there is a fine line between life and death, these unbelievers (atheists) start to pray, and they want God to help them, so they're telling God, "Hey, we're not laughing at you! We're laughing with you! We weren't being mean to you! You mind giving us a hand now?" What I'm trying to say is, perhaps she's trying to say people misuse religion in times of crisis, like floods and famine, and become instantly attached to ideas of religion, for the feeling of hope. But when the crisis has passed, they do not keep the beliefs and respect for God, and once again return to disbelieving the ideas of religion, as they no longer need them.
Just my opinion. :)
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2 comments:
Interesting. To me, she's saying it's funny when God is presented as a wish-granter/magician who will bring good things ("money") if you worship him. Or when "the crazies" stand on corners shouting about everyone being damned and going to hell (as in "he hates us"). It's about religious zealots and religions that claim to be the only path ("pray the right way") not about atheists mocking the existence/concept of God. Which is not to say the song is anti-God. The "good God-themed joke" is literally a funny joke involving God, not necessarily making fun of him. All of those are sources of amusement to her.
it's not necessarily about skeptics laughing at god.
i posted this on songmeanings.net...
one's religion shouldn't affect one's enjoyment of this song, as it's neither pro or anti religion/god.
moreover, for those who ARE religious, you shouldn't make an assumption that non-religious people do not understand the power of god...or at very least, the power of the universe. this is what this song is about. i am undecided about my spirituality, but i understand this song as a comment about life and about the necessity of a sense of humour. it's not about how atheists make fun of god all the time, because, really, they don't.
no-one laughs at god during the bad times, because it would be very dark laughter indeed. if god controls the universe, when bad things happen the natural reaction is to ask god 'why' bad things happen to them, or to be stoic and accept them, not to laugh at god's morbid sense of humour in allowing these things to happen.
but god CAN be funny...(and i think the lyrics are wrong, i think it is "god-damned joke" not "god-themed joke").
when "god is funny" it's not about making fun of god, it's saying that GOD HIMSELF has a sense of humour. if god created us all, he even created those who say that prayer will lead to money, or those who imply that wishes can be granted, he also created the person who told the good god-damned joke at the cocktail party. yes, god allows bad things to happen, but he also created many good things. even atheists can understand and agree with this without necessarily believing that god was the creator of good/bad things.
yes, life is hard, and there is not much to laugh about in a hospital, or in a war, but god DOES have a sense of humour, and life is too short not to appreciate that. that is why we are laughing WITH god...or should be. even if you don't believe in god, you can appreciate this sentiment.
it's a positive song, not bitter or anti-religion or anti-atheist. religion/god is less relevant to this song than one would imagine.
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