# Songs with an atheistic perspective **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616 "2017-09-29T22:38:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/61 "2017-10-03T01:12:13Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > You know, I was always willing to defend Yoko Ono against sometimes very mean and undeserved criticism by Beatles fans, but fuck her for allowing that. Does she have any actual input in which verses are selected? They’re not changing the lyrics, just not playing the whole song. I don’t know if I’d put the blame at her feet. Not exactly the same thing, as CCR absolutely had no rights to their own song, but Wrangler used “Fortunate Son” in a _patriotic_ ad by skipping the “point the cannon at you” part. To their credit, they apparently stopped the ad after Fogerty complained. Values is kind of weird, in that it’s founded by big Mormons, but the message isn’t explicitly proselytizing as far as I can see. Iris DeMent I think is pretty religious, but “Let the Mystery Be” (aka the theme song to the Leftovers), is sort of an \*agnostic \*song. > [@](#): > > Everybody’s wonderin’ what and where they they all came from > Everybody’s worryin’ 'bout where they’re gonna go > When the whole thing’s done > But no one knows for certain > And so it’s all the same to me > I think I’ll just let the mystery be ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/62 "2017-10-04T01:40:42Z")
I’m not sure if “Blasphemous Rumours” by Depeche Mode qualifies or not. In the refrain, the singer assumes that God exists, but the singer thinks He has a sick sense of humor and He will be laughing when the singer dies. The verses are about things that would make one lose their faith, or at very least think that God is more concerned with mocking humans who think He actually cares than _actually_ caring about them. With such a negative portrayal of God, I assumed it to be rather atheistic, given it supposes things about God that are not consistent with most faiths. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/63 "2017-10-08T04:26:10Z")
What about [Atheist Christmas Carol](https://youtu.be/E20PpEsU3oE), by Vienna Teng? _It’s the season of grace coming out from the void…_ ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/64 "2017-10-08T05:20:22Z")
63 posts and no one’s mentioned _Dust In The Wind_? _Don’t hang on Nothing lasts forever, but the earth and sky. It slips away And all your money won’t another minute buy._ I’d call it a sort of serene nihilism. As for the OP, _Dear God_ is a good song, but it’s not really all that atheistic, for all the singer sings “I can’t believe in You”. It’s really more misotheistic. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/65 "2017-10-08T13:50:30Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I’ve read that Jethro Tull’s whole album \*Aqualung \*is one big critic of religion, but I’ve never had time to listen through it. You should take time to listen to [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ-79fwassg) at least. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/66 "2017-10-08T14:59:39Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > 63 posts and no one’s mentioned _Dust In The Wind_? > > _Don’t hang on > Nothing lasts forever, but the earth and sky. > It slips away > And all your money won’t another minute buy._ > > I’d call it a sort of serene nihilism. [Dust. Wind. Dude.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKbbHKpwnU) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/67 "2017-10-08T19:28:24Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > A lot of people think Rush’s “Freewill” is about atheism. I never have; I think it’s more about believing in whatever makes the most sense to you Freewill dates from Neil Peart’s Ayn Rand phase, and is about rational egoism. The song takes shots at mysticism, religion, altruism/collectivism, etc. It’s about people who wield power through fear and blame, and class structurs maintained by telling people they cannot rise on their own, etc. The song says your future isn’t written. You have free will, so stop listening to those who tell you you are helpless without them. Make your own choices, based on reason instead of fear. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/68 "2017-10-08T19:38:06Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > 63 posts and no one’s mentioned _Dust In The Wind_? > > _Don’t hang on > Nothing lasts forever, but the earth and sky. > It slips away > And all your money won’t another minute buy._ > > I’d call it a sort of serene nihilism. > > As for the OP, _Dear God_ is a good song, but it’s not really all that atheistic, for all the singer sings “I can’t believe in You”. It’s really more misotheistic. Kerry Livgren, the writer of the song who is now an evangelical Christain, did not see the song as being atheistic at all. Instead, it’s about the fleetingness of the material world and the shallowness of materialism. You can read this as atheistic, but you can also read it scripturally - ashes to ashes, dust to dust. What matters is not this fleeting material world, but the kingdom of heaven. ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/69 "2017-10-08T19:57:18Z")
_God is dead And no one cares If there is a Hell I’ll see you there_ Nine Inch Nails - “Heresy” _There is no God, So clap your hands together, There is no God, No heaven and no hell. But there is no God, We’re all in this together, There is no God, So ring that victory bell._ Frank Turner - “Glory Hallelujah” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/70 "2017-10-08T21:07:27Z")
[Your God is Dead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYIKUNNntIU)– Mussolini Headkick [Armageddon Days Are Here Again](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lel0PzhU6Pk)–The The [Religion 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAwBKjz91F0)– Public Image LTD ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/71 "2017-10-08T21:51:42Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Kerry Livgren, the writer of the song who is now an evangelical Christain, did not see the song as being atheistic at all. Instead, it’s about the fleetingness of the material world and the shallowness of materialism. You can read this as atheistic, but you can also read it scripturally - ashes to ashes, dust to dust. What matters is not this fleeting material world, but the kingdom of heaven. Hunh. Did not know that. I’ve always interpreted it as - ironically - somewhat materialistic (in the philosophical sense). I _did_ know that the melody derived from a guitar fingering exercise that Livgren’s wife heard him playing and thought was pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/72 "2017-10-09T15:49:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Another one is Edie Brickell and New Bohemians’ “What I Am”, which says “Philosophy is the talk on a cereal box; religion is the smile on a dog” Interesting. I adore Brickell, but I don’t think that’s at all an atheistic thought. Consider the later verse: > [@Brickell](#): > > Philosophy > Is a walk on the slippery rocks > Religion > Is a light in the fog In both cases, she seems to be saying something about how philosophy is tricky, slippery, detailed, risky; religion is simple and joyful and hopeful. The song seems to reject intellectualism as a way of understanding the world. I adore Brickell, but she and I don’t share a worldview. They Might Be Giants have been criticized for pushing an atheist agenda by some Christians: > [@Science is Real](#): > > I like the stories > About angels, unicorns and elves > Now I like those stories > As much as anybody else > But when I’m seeking knowledge > Either simple or abstract > The facts are with science > The facts are with science ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/73 "2017-10-09T22:03:58Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Interesting. I adore Brickell, but I don’t think that’s at all an atheistic thought. Consider the later verse: > > In both cases, she seems to be saying something about how philosophy is tricky, slippery, detailed, risky; religion is simple and joyful and hopeful. The song seems to reject intellectualism as a way of understanding the world. > > I adore Brickell, but she and I don’t share a worldview. > > They Might Be Giants have been criticized for pushing an atheist agenda by some Christians: Huh. I’d always heard that line (“a light in the fog”) as “July in the fall,” which makes no real sense, yet still fits with the rest of the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616/74 "2017-10-09T22:35:27Z")
[_Unbelievers_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3RQvhbcuBo) by **Vampire Weekend** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-an-atheistic-perspective/797616.md?page=3)