On Prefab Sprout’s album Jordan: The Comeback there is a song (“One of the Broken”) from the point of view of God, seeming to encourage people to worship without religion and care for each other instead of God. (There’s another song from the POV of Lucifer. Also one for Elvis).
*I remember King David, with his harp and his beautiful songs.
I answered his prayers, and showed him the place where his music belongs.
It’s not too far from here - come get up off your knees -
if you’re looking for ways to please.
Sing me no psalm - you’re not King David
Sing me no high, hushed glory-bes
Sing it to one, one, one of the broken
and brother, you’re singing
singing to me.*
The whole second verse of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne”:
And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water.
And he spent a long time watching from a lonely wooden tower.
And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him,
He said “All men shall be sailors then until the sea should free them.”
But he himself was broken, long before the sky would open.
Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone.
There’s also lots of God imagery in Elton John/Bernie Taupin’s “Levon.”
Pete Townshend did a number of songs, both with the Who and as a solo artist, which he has stated are about God or are inspired by his faith, though not explicit in the lyrics and in fact nearly impossible to notice. For example:
“Let My Love Open the Door”
“Who Are You”
“Bargain”
“Drowned”
“Love, Reign O’er Me”
“A Little Is Enough”
I think this is a good time to step in and remind everyone that we need to be careful of the lyrics posted in this thread. If too much of a song is quoted it’s possible it falls under a copyright violation. We, of course, want you to have fun, so we encourage you to post within Fair Use.
Tentacle Monster, I edited your post because four stanzas seemed like a wee bit too much for Fair Use. I knocked it back down to two.
If anyone feels the full lyrics need to be viewed, the best thing to do is to quote a little bit and then link to the rest of the lyrics.
Lots of VNV Nation is about God. Almost all, now that I think about it. Genesis:
With you I stand in hope that
God will save us from ourselves.
Every cry a wasted moment
until another day is lost.
Even lands we once called home
lie undiscovered and unknown.
Only Heaven’s silence for an answer.
and Mississippi Squirrel Revival and Everything Is Beautiful
Or by “non-religious” do we necessarily mean “irreligious”? Most of the songs cited are negative, but there is an occasional God-positive song (Spirit in the Sky) or personally-religious-but-not-pushy artist (Indigo Girls, I think, profess an active liberal C’tian faith) mentioned.
Father forgive us for what we must do.
If you’ll forgive us we’ll forgive you.
We’ll forgive each other till we both turn blue,
then we’ll whistle and go fishing in Heaven.
