When the God of Love Returns There'll Be Hell to Pay

Album: Pure Comedy (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Father John Misty was raised in an evangelical Christian household, and while he no longer believes in God he still often invokes Biblical imagery in his music. Here he uses Jesus' second coming to explore human nature.
  • Misty explained to NME that the song "imagines this scenario when God comes back and we're all like, 'F--- you! You have no right to judge us, you made us this way!'"

    "In Genesis, God made the world because he was bored and lonely, and that's why we make things, too," he continued. "We make things to be understood, which is why it's so tragic to make something and only become more misunderstood. If the music I make just pushes people further away, that's real failure."
  • The song was produced to sound like a church hymn, featuring only a piano and a choir.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"They're Playing My Song

Gramm co-wrote this gorgeous ballad and delivered an inspired vocal, but the song was the beginning of the end of his time with Foreigner.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

The Evolution of "Ophelia"

The Evolution of "Ophelia"Song Writing

How five songs portray Shakespeare's character Ophelia.

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.