When the President Talks to God

Bright Eyes

About When the President Talks to God

"When the President Talks to God" is a protest song by Bright Eyes, with a very pointed political message directed towards George W. Bush and his policies. It was originally released as a free download on iTunes but has since been released as a promotional 7" vinyl and as a B-side to "First Day of My Life". On May 2, 2005, Conor Oberst performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In June 2006, Oberst expressed that he's "over" the song from having played it too many times. It won Song of the Year at the 2006 PLUG Independent Music Awards. Early in the morning on December 19, 2006, the song was offered as a featured free download on the front page of the iTunes Store, but was removed within hours without explanation. The song and the EP are still available for free on iTunes but are not featured on the free download page. 


Year:
2013
2:30
28 
#2

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When the President talks to God,
Are the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to 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 on 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.

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Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes is an American indie rock band founded by singer-songwriter and guitarist Conor Oberst. It consists of Oberst, multi-instrumentalist and producer Mike Mogis, trumpet and piano player Nate Walcott, and a rotating lineup of collaborators drawn primarily from Omaha's indie music scene. more »

3 fans

Written by: OBERST

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Release Date & Album
"When The President Talks To God" was not featured on any official Bright Eyes studio album. The song was released as a single on April 25, 2005.
Band Origin
Bright Eyes is an American indie rock-band, formed in Omaha, Nebraska in 1995 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Conor Oberst.
Lyrics & Themes
The song is a deeply political number, heavily criticizing then United States President, George W. Bush and his administration's decisions, especially regarding the Iraq War.
Live Performances
Bright Eyes performed the song live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2005. This was unusual because talk-shows usually invite musicians to perform more commercial-centric songs.
Song Structure
"When the President Talks to God" is a solo performance with only Oberst and his acoustic guitar. This creates a raw, stripped down sound that allows the lyrics to shine.
Public Reaction
The song stirred some controversy due to its strong political commentary, but it also elicited strong support from anti-Bush listeners.
Digital Release
The song was never released on physical media. Instead, it was released as a free download on iTunes.
Screen Presence
"When The President Talks To God" has been included in various soundtracks for television series like “Six Feet Under.”
Music Video
The music video for the song is a single shot of Conor Oberst walking around a room, singing the song into a 1950s-era ribbon microphone. This highlights the song's simplicity and directness.
Significance
This song became a signature protest song for the mid-2000s, capturing the discontent of much of America (and the world) with the Bush administration's foreign policy.
Influence
Oberst's decision to criticise a living president in his song marked a significant moment in pop history, with more artists featuring political commentary in their music in the years to follow.

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    "When the President Talks to God Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/30268995/Bright+Eyes/When+the+President+Talks+to+God>.

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