One of Us
♪ Joan Osborne Lyrics


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If God had a name what would it be?
And would you call it to his face?
If you were faced with Him in all His glory
What would you ask if you had just one question?

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
And yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin' to make his way home?

If God had a face what would it look like?
And would you want to see if, seeing meant
That you would have to believe in things like heaven
And in Jesus and the saints, and all the prophets?

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
And yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin' to make his way home?

Just tryin' to make his way home
Like back up to heaven all alone
Nobody callin' on the phone
'Cept for the Pope maybe in Rome

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
And yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin' to make his way home?

Just tryin' to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just tryin' to make his way home




Nobody callin' on the phone
'Cept for the Pope maybe in Rome

Overall Meaning

Joan Osborne's song "One of Us" explores the concept of God by asking thought-provoking questions to the listener. The song begins with an inquiry into what God's name would be and whether we would call him by his name if he stood before us in all his glory. It then moves on to contemplate what God would look like and whether we would be willing to see his face, knowing that it would require us to believe in things like heaven and Jesus.


The chorus repeats the statement that "God is great" and expands on it by also saying that God is good. However, the song's central question remains: what if God was just like us, an ordinary person trying to make their way back home, just like a stranger on a bus?


The song suggests that, despite all our religious and spiritual beliefs, we should not forget that we are all humans, and we should treat each other with empathy, kindness, and compassion. As such, the song encourages listeners to contemplate their beliefs, but also to be accepting of others' beliefs and worldviews and to recognize that we're all in this together.


Line by Line Meaning

If God had a name what would it be?
If God existed as a physical entity, what would we call it?


And would you call it to his face?
Would you address God in person or be too intimidated to approach?


If you were faced with Him in all His glory
If you were in the presence of God in all its magnificence,


What would you ask if you had just one question?
What is the single question you would ask if you had the opportunity?


What if God was one of us?
What if God was a mere mortal like us?


Just a slob like one of us
Just an everyday person, nothing special.


Just a stranger on the bus
Just an anonymous person traveling on a bus with others.


Tryin' to make his way home?
Attempting to find a way back to where they belong.


If God had a face what would it look like?
If God appeared as a human, what would their appearance be like?


And would you want to see if, seeing meant
Would you be willing to see God's face knowing that doing so would require belief in religion?


That you would have to believe in things like heaven
That accepting the appearance of God's face would logically lead to faith in the afterlife and other religious beliefs.


And in Jesus and the saints, and all the prophets?
And in the religious figures that people of different faiths honor and worship.


Just tryin' to make his way home
Just trying to return to their heavenly home.


Like back up to heaven all alone
Making their way back to heaven without any help or companionship.


Nobody callin' on the phone
Nobody reaching out to someone like God, who is isolated and alone.


'Cept for the Pope maybe in Rome
Except for those with religious authority such as the Pope, who may have more direct access to God.


And yeah, yeah, God is great
And yes, it is widely believed that God is powerful and superior.


Yeah, yeah, God is good
And yes, it is commonly believed that God is good, righteous, and just.


And yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
And yes, this is a repeated affirmation of God's greatness and goodness, with a tone of reverence and enthusiasm.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERIC BAZILIAN, ERIC M. BAZILIAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Jesi Alves

Eu interpreto essa música da seguinte maneira: ela não acredita em Deus, e questiona a forma como as pessoas acreditam.

No início desse clipe ( aqui foi cortado o início) ela fala de uma forma sarcástica que Deus "vai chegar em seu avião".

Depois ela começa a mostrar situações que deveríamos aproveitar para questionar Deus: Se estivéssemos diante dele, o que iríamos perguntar? E se ele fosse um de nós?
Entendo que ela quer duvidar da forma que a maioria crê (com um certo deboche), dando outras opções de crença.

"E se deus fosse um de nós? um estranho no onibus...tentando voltar pra casa...''
Ele veria as dificuldades que passamos e teria dó da gente?
''O que vc perguntaria se pudesse fazer apenas uma pergunta?'
Perguntaria pq ele permite o sofrimento?
"Sim, sim...Deus é grande"
"Sim, sim... Deus é bom?"
Tipo: já entendi, é nisso que você acredita! Mas e se ele fosse um de nos?

Ainda tem a parte que ela diz: "E você gostaria de ver? Se ver significasse que você teria que crer...". Aqui entendo que ela acha melhor não ver, pq assim não precisa crer. Mostra claramente que se trata de alguém que não tem fé!

É uma crítica com uma pitada de sarcasmo às crenças das pessoas.



Amanda Miranda

(So one of these nights and about twelve o'clock)
(This old world's going to reel and rock)
(Saints will tremble and cry for pain)
(For the Lord's gonna come in His heavenly airplane)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

If God had a name
What would it be? And would you call it to His face
If you were faced with Him in all His glory?
What would you ask if you had just one question?

Yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home

If God had a face
What would it look like? And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like heaven and in Jesus and the saints
And all the prophets?

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home

Just trying to make his way home
Back up to heaven all alone
Nobody calling on the phone
'Cept for the Pope, maybe, in Rome

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home

Just trying to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just trying to make his way home

Nobody calling on the phone
'Cept for the Pope, maybe, in Rome



All comments from YouTube:

jhon LS

E eu achando que era uma música romântica durante anos...
Me surpreendeu positivamente a letra!

drih🔥

Eu tbm achava que era romântica kkkk

Taynah Santos

Eu tbm, me surpreendi

SUEMAR OLIVEIRA

Tbm kkkk

Cesar Alexandre

Eu tbm!

Dourado natal Bom

👏👏🙏

5 More Replies...

André Filipe Wilhelm de Avila

Essa musica me marcou de uma forma tão grande, pq foi a 1° musica que eu entendi 95% na língua inglesa, e todo situação que aparece de alguém pedindo ajuda, tipo na porta de mercado, sinaleiro, eu ajudo pq eu fico pensando, "E se essa pessoa for DEUS?" eu não posso negar ajuda a deus, mesmo sabendo que ele não precisa, e pode estar me testando.....

Luisa regina Cunha Cunha

Penso bem assim 😚❤️

DT Drummer FF

Meu irmão tá hj eu medido nessa letra marcou a minha vida tbm

Gabriel Kovalski

Você ama a Deus amando o seu próximo, pois quem diz que ama a Deus, mas odeia a seu irmão é mentiroso. Em Mateus 24 se não me engano está escrito o critério final da salvação, e lá Jesus diz: quando tive fome me deste de comer, quando tive sede, me deste de beber.... Então sim, essa pessoa é Jesus, pois quando faz a um de seus pequeninos, é a ele que vc faz

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