Lyrics for Fly From Heaven as interpreted by rabidpenguin

Fly From Heaven Lyrics
Paul is making me nervous
Paul is making me scared
Walk into this room and swaggers
Like he's God's own messenger
Changed the name of my brother

Changed the things that he said
Says he speaks to him
But he never even knew the man
But I'd give my life for him

Like water through my hands
You'd give him any ending
But if he's all you say
Would he fly from heaven

To this world again
To this world again

Take whatever you're needing
Take whatever you can
We are broken from within
Run to another land

Like water through my hands
Or is it just beginning
But if he's all you say
Would he fly from heaven
To this world again
To this world again

They took my brother
They ripped him from me
To twist his words as they did his body
Denied his family

Denied his beauty
To lie him down at the feet
Of those he couldn't save
Couldn't save, couldn't save

Will it be the end
Or is he still ascending
But if he's all you say
Would he fly from heaven
To this world again
To this world again
---
"Fly From Heaven" as written by Dinning/guss/phillips/nichols
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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toadtws
01-22-2002

 Rated  +1 
This song is written from the viewpoint of Jesus' brother, James. Paul is then probably the apostle, although he seems to represent the whole church and everyone who started talking about Jesus after his death, changing "his name" and "the things that he said".

But mostly, this song is about how devastated James is as Jesus' death

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skibunnie127
05-27-2002

 Rated  +1 
I dont think its neccisarily about the apostle Paul, i think Paul could be a random person, I think the message of the song is more about seeing someone so strong in their faith when they have no proof, the writer is questioning his own faith saying, hey if this guy is all he says he is, then would he come back to earth again?

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Davkay20
06-17-2002

 Rated  0 
both of you are right...but i think its more of glen saying "hey, what did we do to this guy? imagine if jesus was your brother and you knew him and loved him as the one you used to go play with and share things with. then everybody started giving him all this responsibility and praise and it got out of hand and he was killed for it" glen just wants people to look at the personal side of it, jesus was a man. i think his saying "will it be the end, or is he still ascending, but if he's all you say - would he fly from heaven to this world again?" is kinda him almost condeming those people. saying "this man died for you (or you made him die for you) and what if he wasnt really what you say he was?

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uncbb221
06-11-2004

 Rated  0 
i believe you're right the song is written in the point of view of james. I think james is having problems w/ Jesus's death...he cannot see the big picture and the ultimate sacrifice of what Jesus did. All he can see are the short-term implications of his death "denied his family" and "denied his beauty". It's really a song of mourning and different people go about it in different ways. Great Song!!!

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travish19
02-06-2006

 Rated  +2 
This is about Paul the Apostle. Toad produced a second version of "Dulcinea" with a DVD ROM where they actually talked about this song and the meaning behind it. It is about Paul, and looking at him from the viewpoint of James. Nice grab for those of you who picked it up.

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T_D_Phoenix
03-17-2007

 Rated  0 
"but if he's all you say"

would have been much better recieved had he said "but if he's even all you say"

As a validation type thing, i.e. "if jesus was even who he claimed to be"

"Would he fly from heaven into this world again?"

He's thinking that Jesus should think to not come back for what happened the first time.

He's just really confused about what happened and what Jesus thinks about it and if Jesus was even Jesus.

And no, James had nothing to do with anything at all. Glen just considers Jesus to be like a brother.

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T_D_Phoenix
03-17-2007

 Rated  0 
However, the

"They took my brother
They ripped him from me
To twist his words as they did his body
Denied his family
Denied his beauty
To lie him down at the feet
Of those he couldn't save
Couldn't save, couldn't save"

could relay that Glen himself wasn't bitter about it, but that others were.

It's possible that Glen thinks the people who did this to Jesus did it to him because they were angry, because if Jesus is Jesus he can control life and death, right?


...lie him down at the feet of the people he couldn't save would mean they lie him down as a dead man with the rest of the dead people that they're angry he "couldn't save"

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raffishtenant2
11-05-2007

 Rated  0 
It all comes back to the fact that, if Jesus were to return today, at least a few of most heartfelt "followers" would kill him all over again and dance on his grave, given the chance. One needn't be a Christian to see how tragically and harmfully even the New Testament has been exploited by those purported faith is secondary to their personal biases. (And if that statement resonates with you at all, I'd encourage you to rent "The Book of Life" by Hal Hartley, featuring Martin Donovan as Jesus Mark II.)

Devastating, beautiful, thought-provoking song, and glaringly missing from the "P.S." retrospective.

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DHNF
12-15-2008

 Rated  +3 
I think most people really don't know what this song is about. Yes it is written from the standpoint of Jesus brother James who was one of the original teachers of "Christianity."

It is also written about Paul who persecuted the first Christians including James before having a revelation and changing over to "Christianity."

Unfortunately Paul in the Bible did not teach about Christ's life and teachings. He twisted the words of Christ and got away from the early christians who were called Essene Nazarenes and they included Jesus' brother James. Paul was an agent of the Jewish puppet-government installed by imperial Rome.

He basically created what we know today as mainstream Christianity preaching that salvation is through believing in Christ rather than following his works, which is not what was taught by Jesus.

Paul never even met Jesus. Look at the lyrics. James is speaking.

Paul is making me nervous, Paul is making me scared. Walk into this room he swaggers like he's God's own messenger. Changed the name of my brother (Jesus Christ was known to his followers, the real Apostles as Yeshua). Changed the things that he said (Paul distorting His words).

Says he speaks to him

But he never even knew the man (Paul never did know Jesus although he acted like he knew Him better than the actual people who lived with him and followed him).

Unfortunately that's how mainstream Christianity was created. This false belief that all you have to do to achieve salvation is believe in Jesus... Jesus never taught that.

Paul did. There are TONs of books about this Pauline doctrine. Paul vs. Jesus. It's incredibly interesting stuff.


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2 Replies  ·  General Comment
victorialynn
04-12-2009

 Rated  -1 
When I first heard this song I stopped dead in my tracks. I listen to all kinds of music and every once in a while I will hear a song that touches me very deeply. I believe this song to be about my personal friend Jesus. I immediatly felt in my heart what I felt over 30 years ago when I excepted Jesus into my heart. My friend was taken away. And how sad that was. And even though in the song it sounds like the man is confused or even not sure who Jesus is and what means to him, I hear hope in the song and feel hope in my heart. I immediatly went straight to the heart and thats real to me. What a great song

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General Comment
cheesedog
07-24-2009

 Rated  0 
According to a guitar book I have of thiers, it's a song form the perspective of someone who was a friend of Jesus and watched him become deified by people who really didn't know him. The term "brother" is not intended to be taken literally...

Kick butt song, definitely one of the most under-rated bands of the past 20 years...

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General Comment
cheesedog
07-24-2009

 Rated  +1 
According to a guitar book I have of thiers, it's a song form the perspective of someone who was a friend of Jesus and watched him become deified by people who really didn't know him. The term "brother" is not intended to be taken literally...

Kick butt song, definitely one of the most under-rated bands of the past 20 years...

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General Comment
cheesedog
07-24-2009

 Rated  +1 
According to a guitar book I have of thiers, it's a song form the perspective of someone who was a friend of Jesus and watched him become deified by people who really didn't know him. The term "brother" is not intended to be taken literally...

Kick butt song, definitely one of the most under-rated bands of the past 20 years...

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General Comment
esprit77
07-15-2010

 Rated  0 
This song strikes me as an insult to Paul the Apostle. The people who don't respect Paul always seem to be the kind of people who think you can have Jesus and the world, too.

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Song Meaning
Gaawachan
09-19-2011

 Rated  0 
^ I'm not sure about the other band members but Glen Phillips (the singer) is not a Christian so he certainly doesn't 'think you can have Jesus and the world, too.'


This song is not about the religion itself, imo; if it was I doubt that it would repeatedly question whether or not Jesus would "fly from Heaven if he's all you say." O_o
It's about the people- the grief of James. It is on the human aspect of the story.

Going slightly off on a tangent, it's interesting to note that this is not the only song that Toad the Wet Sprocket has dealing with brother-like relationships; they have a song titled 'Brother'! The polar opposite of Fly From Heaven, a song laden with loss, grief, and bitterness, Brother joyfully celebrates the undying bond of love between brethren.

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General Comment




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