Lyrics for American Jesus as interpreted by oofus

American Jesus Lyrics
I don't need to be a global citizen,
'Cuz I'm blessed by nationality.
I'm member of a growing populace,
We enforce our popularity.
There are things that seem to pull us under and,
There are things that drag us down.
But there's a power and a vital presence,
It's lurking all around.

We've got the American Jesus,
See him on the interstate.
We've got the American Jesus,
He helped build the President's estate.

I feel sorry for the Earth's population,
'Cuz so few live in the U.S.A.
At least the foreigners can copy our morality,
They can visit but they cannot stay.
Only precious few can garner our prosperity,
It makes us walk with renewed confidence.
We got a place to go when we die,
And the architect resides right here.

We've got the American Jesus,
Bolstering national faith.
We've got the American Jesus,
Overwhelming millions every day.

He's the farmer's barren fields, (In God)
The force the army wields, (We trust)
Expressions on the faces of the starving millions, (Because He's one of us)
The power of the man, (Break down)
He's the fuel that drives the Klan, (Cave in)
He's the motive and the conscience of the murderer, (We can redeem your sins)
He's the preacher on T.V., (Strong heart)
The false sincerity, (Clear mind)
The form letter that's written by the big computers, (And infinitely kind)
The nuclear bombs, (You lose)
The kids with no moms, (We win)
And I'm fearful that he's inside me... (He is our champion)

We've got the American Jesus
See him on the interstate
We've got the American Jesus
Exercising his authority
We've got the American Jesus
Bolstering national faith
We've got the American Jesus
Overwhelming millions every day

One nation, under God...

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crazy_punk_gurl
10-23-2004

Rated 0 
I thought this song was basically talking about how the percieved mentality of america is one of arrogance and superiority, something well demonstrated in the line "in God, we trust, because he's one of us". It think it's basically saying that the USA is so good that God supports them in everything they do, and therefore they are always right.

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moeman
11-18-2004

Rated 0 
bad religion kiix ass, good song

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criticg
11-21-2004

Rated 0 
You guys are pretty bad... what makes america the greatest country?? the terror that is sunk into ur brains... Great power corrupts absolutly and i believe that some day if u guys dont change it may happen!!! the song is clearly mocking the americain way with how ur nation works!! The americian jesus is what is keeping ur country from peace

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Philadelphia Eagles
12-19-2004

Rated 0 
Patriotism=the belief that your country is superior to all other just because you live in it.

I'm American, but I hate it when other Americans think they're so fucking great and all. Then we have that asshole Bush who thinks just like a monarch would with his wars and "divine right" shit. Jesus never even fucking existed:

http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/

It's sad to see what fairy tales like the bible can do to the world.

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Philadelphia Eagles
12-19-2004

Rated 0 
God is filled with love!:

http://www.truechristian.com/atheists.html

--This is one of the reasons I'm an atheist.

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Jeema
01-04-2005

Rated 0 
I think the meaning of the song is simple: Believing in something alone does not make you moral or righteous, because morality is determined by your actions, not your beliefs. The 'American Jesus' represents the hyporcritical counter-paradigm that says that as long as we believe in Jesus, our actions are irrelevant and we can do no wrong, because "we've got the American Jesus."

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puzzled_pixi
09-07-2005

Rated 0 
I know a lot of people in America (as I am American... not really proud of it) who think like this song describes. I think most of those people though are either the older generation (about 40 and up) and the ignorant kids. I will freely admit that America is very ignorant. Our schooling sucks and people don't think its important. That's all I really wanted to say. Thanx!

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hellhawk123
12-05-2005

Rated 0 
There's a story about a politician who was debating whether to use English as America's official national language. He is quoted as saying, "If it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for us!", which pretty much sums up the exasperation at the ignorant masses that this song is trying to portray.

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Trexx
12-25-2005

Rated 0 
"and i'm fearful that he's inside me"

Strongest line, in my opinion in the song. As a member of the western culture, I along with 99.9% of the populace have the "american jesus"
inside me. Just takes a while to realize it...sad day when you finally do

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Captain_Trekkie
05-16-2006

Rated 0 
The United States was not founded on current "neo-Christian" ideals. It was founded by a bunch of Anglican/Deist intellectuals, a few of whom were nearly agnostic in their outlooks.

Most current religious BS in this country is very recent.

That said, I enjoy this song because it gives a rather hard-hitting but fun take on some of the problems in the US.

But remember, "those people" are NOT all Americans or all Christians. I'm both, but am just as frustrated a lot of times as many anti-everythings.

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agnostic soldier
06-21-2006

Rated 0 
This song is about how people use 'god or 'jesus' to justify all their actions or beliefs no matter what they are

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agnostic soldier
06-21-2006

Rated 0 
Another thing, why is it that a lot of people who really are christians do just do all these evil things because god told them to, since there are christians that compliment them on being 'good' people and good christians. Isn't the doctrine of Christianity and even a universal doctrine for brotherly love, because I don't see that even in the a lot of people who really are religious. A lot of them just seem to be selfish and walking in the ways of what they want even though god supposedly tells them. It's not just atheists that do that.

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badreliginbad
08-11-2006

Rated 0 
hahah Phili eagles. "its sad to see what fairy tales like the bible can do teh world" haha that was great. I'm an athiest all the way and this is a great fucking song.

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Geckat
08-25-2006

Rated 0 
Whew...a lot of comments on this one. I don't have time to read it all, but if there's anyone here who still thinks that this song is an insult to Christ, I recall reading an interview a while ago with Bad Religion, where either Greg or Brett (can't remember which) was asked about their Anti-Cross logo, and said that it's definately not Anti-Jesus, that Jesus was one of the coolest dudes who ever lived, and that they like to think that if he were alive today that He'd be a BR fan.

Sorry if I inturrupted anything. Comment might've been useless, but w/e. I needed something to do anyway.

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WYWH
12-01-2006

Rated 0 
This song is about a comment George H.W. Bush (AKA Bush senior) made about the Gulf war. I belive he said something about how America would win any conflict in the middle east because "we have Jesus on our side." Basically, its about how arrogant Americans are and how arrogant Christians are. He killed two birds with one stone: Bash our fucked up society and Organized Religion at the same time. And THAT is y this is one of the all-time greatest songs.

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bogun
02-18-2007

Rated 0 
I don't think this song actually has much at all to do with Christianity. Instead it's about American arrogance and our self image of our country. He's saying that to Americans, our country and our national image has become like a religion. We've started to worship our image - we've started to worship our country as an American Jesus. Christ is just used as a representative for religion and worship in the song, it is about American nationalism and self-worship and really isn't about Christianity.

The whole song is full of lines about American arrogance. For example, "I don't need to be a global citizen because i'm blessed by nationality" - we don't care about being citizens of the world, we care about being Americans.

Or "I feel sorry for the earth's population 'cuz so few live in the U.S.A. At least the foreigners can copy our morality. They can visit but they cannot stay. Only precious few can garner the prosperity." That whole verse is about Americans having an inflated self-image about our country, of feeling better than everyone else, and of being concerned only with our own nation and not with our world. Of looking down on foreigners because they don't have our wealth and our morals. None of that has anything to do with Christianity, but instead it is about American nationalism.

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rpgaction
02-27-2007

Rated 0 
It seems to me that it's a combination of what bogun is saying and a depiction of religion (in this case Christianity) as a destructive force in general. Just look at the last half of the song - depicting Jesus as "the motive and the conscience of the murderer, the starving millions, the nuclear bomb." If that isn't an obvious display of the destruction religion causes, what is?

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michaelk
05-08-2007

Rated 0 
If Jesus guides our president, I donīt want this Jesus to guide me. True lyrics.

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Banana Republic
05-16-2007

Rated 0 
day after the bigoted jerry falwell has died. kinda feel obligated to post now, seeing as he once said Jesus "was the first American."

high comedy.

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Richard Enahobo
06-06-2007

Rated 0 
It's criticizing religion and over-the-top nationalism. Does anyone know what the backup singers are saying on the part after the second chorus. That's my favorite part of the song.

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ESPspiderXIII
06-06-2007

Rated 0 
Yeah.........
Most ppl R fuked in the head........
(incoherent mumbling)

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wexenhex
07-05-2007

Rated 0 
According to Jay the song was prompted by something George Bush said about how the USA could not do wrong in the gulf war because Jesus is on the Americans' side. But then Greg said that it was interestign for Jay to say that when he didn't write the song.

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Swany
08-21-2007

Rated 0 
Personally, I think this song is very personal introspective into Graffin's mind. The line which makes me feel this is when he says "and I am afraid that he is inside me." Graffin, despite what many people think of his personal religious ideology and what the band's moniker has the listener believe, is I believe a somewhat religious man. They named their band Bad Religion based on the Catholic Church being one of the most corrupt organizations in the world. However, Graffin's PhD dissertation, "Evolution, Monism, Atheism and the Naturalist World-View" contends that when asked, even some of the staunchest evolutionary biologists can't explain sometimes what religion can. I am aware that he does not identify with a specific religious affiliation, but his argument is that religion is so large and powerful that it does in fact have a role in both his life and the majority of peoples, despite what they claim.

That being said, I think Graffin is arguing that he is abhorrent of the "Jesus" culture of the United States and fears the relative backlash of that community's wrath on both domestic and foreign landscapes. With this fear, he is afraid that if God is as vengeful as this community has identified him/her as, then he fears to what extent that religion/God is a part of him.

Let me know what you think. Sorry for the rant.
If you have a chance, read his dissertation. It's available through Cornell University.

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gdwarning35
03-23-2008

Rated 0 
k im kind of combining two ideas in one here but
this song was madee in 1993 same year david koresh (cult leader who claimed to be jesus) was killed in mount carmel because of a raid by BATF
so my thought is they were responding to the whole george bush sr comment (jesus on americas side) by saying hey jesus is on your side.... this crazy mofo is and hes jesus right

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gdwarning35
03-23-2008

Rated 0 
o and adding another thing that swany's comment made me think of (I am afraid that he is inside me) koresh was also a convicted pedaphile...(give the preists a break they were just copying "jesus'" example)

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