Regina Spektor, the Soviet-born singer-songwriter who first made a splash with 'Fidelity' in 2006, performed on Letterman on Friday night. I hadn't heard her new single, so I didn't know what to expect. The song she performed, 'Laughing With,' is an interesting take on the issues of spiritual power and of theodicy, that is, the existence of a good God and evil in the same universe. Watch her perform here. What do you think?
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor
No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet
No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken
No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say "We've got some bad new, sir,"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke
God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for
No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke
God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God
...thanx!
Posted by: Wes | June 29, 2009 at 07:35 PM
Hey man! Thanks for the post! I was looking forward to her new single, i think she did good!
I personally think that the song is very truthful, only in the regina way :)
Nobody mocks God when things are going bad, but when we are all good it's very easy for us to question Him. I think in a sense the song is not aimed as being directed at God, but more like it's aimed at the people and the god they believe in that is mostly based on their perception on who God is, like the mentioned genie.
I found a soft spot in my heart when listening to it. I think this song should not be taken lightly as most of her songs.
She's really progressed as an artist and turned more mature than her previous albums. I like to believe that she's only begun to get into the scene, I can only hope that she stays true to her image and keeps questioning what she believes in... in a good way, not like the now mainstream Tori Amos, who has to my taste, turned bland.
Thanks again for the post! I'd like to hear what your thoughts are on the song.
Posted by: Werner | July 03, 2009 at 07:21 PM
To me, it is a reminder that blasphemy occurs more often in the acts of Christians than in statements made by skeptics or atheists. God isn't funny, but we sometimes make him seem that way, and that is our failure.
Posted by: Joshua N. | July 11, 2009 at 01:13 PM