# Songs about God...but not about God. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498 "2008-12-10T03:24:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/1 "2008-12-10T03:24:18Z")
I’m in a reflective mood tonight, and looking for songs to play that go with my mood. Some songs, like Mindy Smith’s _Come to Jesus_ and Dolly Parton’s _Jesus and Gravity_ are blatantly Christian, but I’m by no means limited to a particular brand of spirituality or genre of music. I’m also looking for evocative songs like Live’s _I, Alone_ or U2’s _40_. Please, no XTC or anything angry. I’m looking for evocative. Spiritual. Hell, earlier I was listening to _Angel from Montgomery_ and Carly Simon’s _Let the River Run_, which yes, I am aware is about capitalism as religion but it fits. Can anyone else help me add to this list? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/2 "2008-12-10T03:33:18Z")
How about Pete Townshend’s [God Speaks of Marty Robbins](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMtYP5T3XeU&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/3 "2008-12-10T03:33:34Z")
Guster has several songs that are vaguely spiritual without being overtly Christian. I think songwriters is Jewish, but I’m not sure. _Rocketship_ is a good example. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/4 "2008-12-10T04:11:39Z")
I really, really like _God Shuffled His Feet_ by Crash Test Dummies. ---
**Author:** ![Camus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Camus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Camus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/5 "2008-12-10T04:30:13Z")
If you want to dig into the '90s bin at the music store, there’s: _What if God was one of us?_ by Joan Osbourne _Counting Blue Cars_ by Dishwalla _Who Will Save Your Soul?_ by Jewell _The God That Failed_ by Metallica ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/6 "2008-12-10T04:40:24Z")
_One_ U2 and even better, U2 and Mary J. Blige ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/7 "2008-12-10T06:17:21Z")
Dream Theater’s “The Spirit Carries On” is very hymn-like and spiritual, though not precisely Christian (the song’s from a concept album about reincarnation.) ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/8 "2008-12-10T06:41:32Z")
“Bus Stop” by tin machine _now jesus he came in a vision / & offered you redemption from sin / i’m not saying that i don’t believe you / but are you sure that it really was him / i’ve been told that it could have been bluecheese / or the meal that we ate down the road / i’m a young man at odds with the bible / but i don’t pretend faith never works / when we’re down on our knees / praying at the bus stop_ “Bushfire” by Midnight Oil, _Earth and Sun and Moon we’re gonna move those mountains aside…_ These next three are pretty mournful, but I like 'em: “Lullaby” by The Church, _Sometime Anywhere_ (pretty much a song of the Magi to the Christchild, albeit filtered through Kilbeyesque weirdness.) _we come to pay homage to the golden one / we bear & share the message of your newborn son / … / his life will not be very long / before you know it / he will be gone_ “Swan Lake”, The Church, _Priest=Aura o my ugly ducklings, nobody loves you / daddy said he’ll buy you some ballet shoes / but he spent all he had on hash / and avoiding another crash / now who will look after you? / one night your shoulders will ache / the next day when you wake / you’ll sprout wide wings and fly / just like in swan lake_ “Lost”, The Church, _Starfish follow her down / to worship some god / who never speaks to me / i wonder if that’s odd / and then he says, “you’re never listening”_ But then, I tear up at Z’s “Loser” (_Shampoohorn_), so what do I know? ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/9 "2008-12-10T09:29:37Z")
Pretty much anything by [Iona](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iona_(band)), a Celtic progressive rock band. Most of their lyrics are about spiritual matters. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/10 "2008-12-10T12:59:11Z")
“Orphans of God” by Buddy and Julie Miller ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/11 "2008-12-10T13:03:16Z")
_The First Time I Ever Saw your Face_ Johnny Cash version. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/12 "2008-12-10T13:09:37Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > Pretty much anything by [Iona](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iona_(band)), a Celtic progressive rock band. Most of their lyrics are about spiritual matters. That’s a bit generic- all I have by Iona is explicitly Christian. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/13 "2008-12-10T13:21:37Z")
Dear God - XTC Can’t beleive i got in 1st! MiM ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/14 "2008-12-10T13:38:11Z")
> [@Made\_in\_Macau](#): > > Dear God - XTC > > Can’t beleive i got in 1st! > > MiM First song I thought of, but the OP specifically stated “No XTC”… ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/15 "2008-12-10T13:40:35Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > First song I thought of, but the OP specifically stated “No XTC”… Oh deary me. Please accept my apologies Atomicflea. I was too excited… to read. Sorry. MiM ---
**Author:** ![Octalcode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Octalcode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octalcode)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/16 "2008-12-10T13:47:51Z")
**Spirit in the Sky** - Norman Greenbaum ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/17 "2008-12-10T15:35:18Z")
> [@Camus](#): > > If you want to dig into the '90s bin at the music store, there’s: > > _What if God was one of us?_ by Joan Osbourne Nothing to do with God, but I actually love _Ladder_ by Joan Osbourne. > [@](#): > > _Who Will Save Your Soul?_ by Jewell Forgot about that one. Thanks! > [@](#): > > _The God That Failed_ by Metallica Sounds too dark. I don’t want anything condemning faith. I need to feel hopeful, not hopeless. ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/18 "2008-12-10T15:37:08Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > How about Pete Townshend’s [God Speaks of Marty Robbins](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMtYP5T3XeU&feature=related) Nice. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/19 "2008-12-10T15:38:52Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > I really, really like _God Shuffled His Feet_ by Crash Test Dummies. His voice kills it for me.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498/20 "2008-12-10T15:39:47Z")
“Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum)” by Anberlin: one of the only songs I have heard about the Revelation by a band whose members are explicitly Christian but not a Christian Band per se. It’s epic without being angry or overly scary. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-god-but-not-about-god/476498.md?page=2)