Dear God (Song)

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Dear God is a song on XTC's 1986 Album Skylarking, controversial because of its anti-God sentiment which might be interpreted as either dystheism or atheism. In the UK, when the song was originally released as a single many record shops refused to stock the track, fearing a religious backlash.

It was not a part of the original Skylarking album, but after DJs across America picked up the song, Geffen Records decided to replace "Mermaid Smiled" with "Dear God." The song was inspired by a series of books with the same title, seen by lead singer Andy Partridge as an exploitation of children. The opening and ending verse is sung by the then eight year old Jasmine Veillette, the daughter of a friend of producer Todd Rundgren. The lyrics are addressed to God, and the singers conclude every verse with the line "I can't believe in you," after vividly describing the range of human suffering, which the narrator attributes to God and implores him to stop. Despite the prayer-like quality, the lyrics strongly imply doubt about God's benevolence ("The wars you bring, the babes you drown, those lost at sea and never found.") and/or his existence ("Did you make mankind after we made you?")

Dear God
Dear God,
Hope you got the letter,
And I pray you can make it better down here.
I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer,
But all the people that you made in your image,
See them starving on their feet,
'Cause they don't get enough to eat

From God,
I can't believe in you.

Dear God,
sorry to disturb you,
but I feel that I should be heard loud and clear.
We all need a big reduction in amount of tears,
And all the people that you made in your image,
See them fighting in the street,
'Cause they can't make opinions meet,
About God,
I can't believe in you.

Did you make disease, and the diamond blue?
Did you make mankind after we made you?
And the devil too!

Dear God,
Don't know if you noticed,
But your name is on a lot of quotes in this book.
Us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look,
And all the people that you made in your image,
Still believing that junk is true.
Well I know it ain't and so do you,
Dear God,
I can't believe in,
I don't believe in,

I won't believe in heaven and hell.
No saints, no sinners,
No Devil as well.
No pearly gates, no thorny crown.
You're always letting us humans down.
The wars you bring, the babes you drown.
Those lost at sea and never found,
And it's the same the whole world 'round.
The hurt I see helps to compound,
that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Is just somebody's unholy hoax,
And if you're up there you'll perceive,
That my heart's here upon my sleeve.
If there's one thing I don't believe in...

It's you,
Dear God.