Thoughts Of A Dying Atheist
by Muse

Album: Absolution (2003)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is about a faithless man realizing that his death is imminent and that there will be nothing for him. He has realized that the end of his life truly is the end for him. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Robert - Glasgow, Scotland

Comments: 11

  • Nady from Adelaide, AustraliaAmy: I say we petition to get some more damn Muse on this site theres no where NEAR enough!!
  • Amy from Perth, AustraliaBryan: It's meant to be
    Nady: Ruled by Secrecy is one of my personal favourites!
  • Liquid Len from Ottawa, Canada"it is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusions, no matter how comforting"
    Why?
  • Nady from Adelaide, AustraliaI think my mate Zazu may be onto something, sums the song up brilliantly for me, I just love the "waayaayua" bit in the chorus, very cool. And another thing, why isnt "Ruled By Secrecy" in the list? When Muse were in Adelaide they played this song and it was the first time I had really listened to the words and I literlly stopped breathing. Thats how powerful their lyrics can be, I had tears running down my face it was AMAZING. I love Muse, powerful stuff boys. keep it coming.
  • Pete from Tibshelf, United KingdomI think the real message of this song (summed up in the lyics 'scares the hell out of me') is that atheists (such as myself) realise that death is the end and, as such, is a terrifying prospect, but one must accept this as the truth. In the words of Carl Sagan; "it is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusions, no matter how comforting"
  • Zazu from Brisbane, AustraliaFirst off, I'd like to subliminally high-five everyone who agrees Muse is an awesome band with awesome songs by awesome musicians. Amazingly enough (like me), Bellamy is an atheist, and says so candidly in any interviews when asked. He's quite transparent in his lyrics in this song, in that (at least, in my interpretation) he wishes to make a statement about his beliefs, his fear of death, the blindness of religion, etcetera... although, he focuses more on his feelings on the issue, rather than debunking the conventions of religion, as in 'City of Delusion'. Secondly, I can only presume 'Dan - redcar' is yet another misquoting philistine on SongFacts, as "I'm the priest God never paid" and "slave to the grave" are both lyrics from 'The Smallprint', not 'Thoughts of a Dying Atheist'. Nice one, Dan. Now that I've poked fun at the less intellectually stimulated, I'll sign off by saying that I applaud Muse for the depth of their lyrics, and the sheer musical magnitude of everything else that compliments them so brilliantly.
  • Bryan from Sydney, Australiaanyone else find it ironic that dying scares the _hell_ out of an atheist?
  • Martin from Eastbourne, EnglandIncredible song, best thing they've ever done. Thought-provoking lyrics and a powerful riff.
  • Iyan Bastian from Bogor, IndonesiaMatthew Bellamy an atheist?
  • Alexio from Haslemere, Englandmuse one of the most powerful live bands i have ever heard and so skilled the art of songwriting. Beautiful song
  • Rob from Castaic, CaAwesome song... Muse is an incredible band.
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