Miller formed the Buddy Miller Band, which included singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin on vocals and guitar.
In addition to releasing several solo albums over the years, Miller has toured as lead guitarist/backing vocalist for Emmylou Harris's Spyboy band, Steve Earle on his El Corazon tour, and Linda Ronstadt. He co-produced and performed on Jimmie Dale Gilmore's 2000 album Endless Night. He has also appeared on several albums by songwriter/singer Lucinda Williams.
At the 4th Annual Americana Music Association Honors & Awards, the Ryman Auditorium September 2005, Miller received the Album of the Year Award for his Universal United House of Prayer, and the opening cut of that album, Worry Too Much (penned by Mark Heard, and originally released on Second Hand), won the Song of the Year Award.
With God On Our Side
Buddy Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
oh my name it is nothing' my age it means less
the country i come from is called the midwest
i was taught and brought up there the laws to abide
and the land that i live in has god on its side.
oh the history books tell it they tell it so well
the cavalries charged and the indians died
oh the country was young with god on its side.
the spanish-american war had its day
and the civil war too was soon laid away
and the names of the heroes i was taught to memorize
with guns in their hands and god on their side.
the first world war, boys it came and it went
the reason for fighting i never did get
but i learned to accept it and accept it with pride
or you don't count the dead when god's on your side.
when the second world war came to an end
we forgave the germans and then we were friends
though they murdered six million in the ovens they fried
the germans now too have god on their side.
i've learned to hate russians all through my whole life
if another war comes it's them we must fight
to hate them and fear them to run and to hide
and accept it all bravely with god on my side.
but now we got weapons of the chemical dust
if fire them we're forced to then fire them we must
one push of the button and a shot the world wide
and you never ask questions when god's on your side.
in a many dark hour i've been thinking' about this
that jesus christ was betrayed by a kiss
but i can't think for you you'll have to decide
whether judas iscariot had god on his side.
so now as i'm leaving' i'm weary as hell
the confusion i'm feeling' ain't no tongue can tell
the words fill my head and fall to the floor
if god's on our side he'll stop the next war.
In "With God On Our Side", Buddy Miller covers Bob Dylan's lyrics of a person reflecting on the history of their country and how it's been shaped by religion. The singer talks about his upbringing and how he's taught to respect and obey the laws of his land. He mentions the wars that happened before him, the Spanish-American War, the Civil War, the First and Second World War. He muses on the different propaganda used to justify going to war, how "you don't count the dead when god's on your side."
The person is deeply troubled and worried that humanity is heading towards a self-inflicted moment of destruction with the development of chemical weapons. Yet, he calls upon god to stop the next war. Interestingly, the last verse is a reflection on the betrayals of Jesus Christ, particularly by Judas, and how there is no clear manifestation of the presence of God in such a circumstance. Overall, "With God On Our Side" is a melancholic and self-critical portrayal of American history, wars, and religion.
Line by Line Meaning
oh my name it is nothing' my age it means less
My name and age have no significance or importance
the country i come from is called the midwest
I come from the Midwestern region of the United States
i was taught and brought up there the laws to abide
I was raised to follow the laws of the land where I grew up
and the land that i live in has god on its side.
The country I live in believes that God is on its side
oh the history books tell it they tell it so well
The historical events have been recorded and documented well in history books
the cavalries charged the indians fell
The cavalry attacked and defeated the Native Americans
the cavalries charged and the indians died
The Native Americans were killed during the cavalry's charge
oh the country was young with god on its side.
At the time, the country believed that God was on their side
the spanish-american war had its day
The Spanish-American War occurred at a certain point in time
and the civil war too was soon laid away
The Civil War also ended and was put away in history
and the names of the heroes i was taught to memorize
I was taught to memorize the names of heroic figures in history
with guns in their hands and god on their side.
These heroic figures were armed with guns and believed that God was on their side
the first world war, boys it came and it went
The First World War happened and eventually ended
the reason for fighting i never did get
I couldn't understand the reason behind fighting in the war
but i learned to accept it and accept it with pride
I learned to accept the war and take pride in it anyway
or you don't count the dead when god's on your side.
When you believe that God is on your side, you may not consider the number of casualties
when the second world war came to an end
The Second World War eventually ended
we forgave the germans and then we were friends
After the war, we forgave the Germans and became allies
though they murdered six million in the ovens they fried
The Germans killed six million Jews in gas chambers during the Holocaust
the germans now too have god on their side.
The Germans also believe that God is on their side
i've learned to hate russians all through my whole life
I've spent my entire life hating Russians
if another war comes it's them we must fight
If there's another war, it will likely be against the Russians
to hate them and fear them to run and to hide
I'm conditioned to hate and fear the Russians and to try to hide from them
and accept it all bravely with god on my side.
I must accept these feelings and beliefs bravely because I believe that God is on my side
but now we got weapons of the chemical dust
We now have weapons that use chemical dust
if fire them we're forced to then fire them we must
If we're provoked and use these weapons, we must use them fully
one push of the button and a shot the world wide
One click of a button can launch a weapon that affects the entire world
and you never ask questions when god's on your side.
When you believe that God is on your side, you don't question your actions
in a many dark hour i've been thinking' about this
I've spent many long hours contemplating this
that jesus christ was betrayed by a kiss
Jesus was betrayed when he was kissed by Judas
but i can't think for you you'll have to decide
Ultimately, each person must come to their own conclusions and beliefs
whether judas iscariot had god on his side.
Was Judas acting in accordance with God's will?
so now as i'm leaving' i'm weary as hell
As I depart now, I am extremely tired and emotionally drained
the confusion i'm feeling' ain't no tongue can tell
I'm feeling a deep sense of confusion that can't be expressed in words
the words fill my head and fall to the floor
Many thoughts are filling my mind and overwhelming me
if god's on our side he'll stop the next war.
We must hope that God will intervene and prevent the next war
Contributed by Austin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.