"When The President Talks To God"

When the president talks to God
Are the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to rape our women’s' rights
And send poor farm kids off to die?
Does God suggest an oil hike
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
Are the consonants all hard or soft?
Is he resolute all down the line?
Is every issue black or white?
Does what God say ever change his mind
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?
Agree which convicts should be killed?
Where prisons should be built and filled?
Which voter fraud must be concealed
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
I wonder which one plays the better cop
We should find some jobs. the ghetto's broke
No, they're lazy, George, I say we don't
Just give 'em more liquor stores and dirty coke
That's what God recommends

When the president talks to God
Do they drink near beer and go play golf
While they pick which countries to invade
Which Muslim souls still can be saved?
I guess god just calls a spade a spade
When the president talks to God

When the president talks to God
Does he ever think that maybe he's not?
That that voice is just inside his head
When he kneels next to the presidential bed
Does he ever smell his own bullshit
When the president talks to God?

I doubt it

I doubt it

This song was written and performed by Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst. Obvioulsy a political message. I dont necessarily want this post to be political in nature, im not much of a politician myself and get pretty lost in politcal jargon. What did strike me about this song is the package Conor chose to wrap his political message; the well-known fact that George W. is a prayin' man. I do thank God for a president who prays. This song brings up a good point though. Agenda driven prayer. I know i have been guilty on many occasions of "praying" to feel more justified in whatever answer I already have. Prayer can be nothing more than an inscrutible defense of faulty reasoning....if one makes it that. Communion with God is tangible and very real, and does give us insight, guidance, and truth. But is it possible to "pray" and not really seek any of those things....or to even attempt real communication. Prayer can be dishonest, insincere, and littered with hidden agendas and selfish motivations. Obviously, because of Oberst's political opinions of George W. Bush, he sees his prayers as inneffective, and only to serve his personal, political gain. Pretty big judgement. Technically possible...but probable?

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