GOD
Caetano Veloso & David Byrne Lyrics

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Hey Hey Hey Hey
Ho Ho Ho Ho
(David Byrne)
Who calls this child to walk on her own?
Who leads her down this treacherous road?
She's dancing to a song we can't hear

(Selena)

Caminando en calle doce (12)
Debes estar en la escuela
Dulce angelita, de qui¨¦n eres t¨²?
(translation:
Walking along 12th street
You should be in school
Sweet little angel, whose child are you?)

Come dance with me (ven, baila conmigo)
Come dance with me (ven, baila conmigo)
Come dance with me

(David Byrne)
God makes us dream, but won't set us free
God calls us dance to songs we can't hear

(Selena)
Canci¨®n del vampiro
Gloria de amor
Es nuestro reino
Pero vean lo que hemos hecho
(translation:
Song of the vampire
The glory of love
This is our kingdom
But look what we have done)

(Both)
Come dance with me (ven, baila conmigo)
Come and dance with me (quiero ser libre)
Come dance with me (ven, baila conmigo)
Como t¨², como t¨² solo puedas bailar...
oye, mira, baila conmigo
No me dejes sola
Ven, ven, ven
No me dejes sola

Ooh, come on down
Ooh, ooh, ahh, ahh
Ah, set me free (quiero ser libre) ha!

Come dance with me (ven, baila conmigo)
Ooh, ahh, with me

Overall Meaning

The song "God's Child" by Caetano Veloso and David Byrne is a mesmerizing duet that talks about a child walking down a treacherous road while dancing to a song that the audience cannot hear. The opening lines are sung in a call-and-response manner, with Byrne questioning who calls this child to walk on her own and lead her down this path while the response is a continuous repetition of "Hey Hey Hey Hey" and "Ho Ho Ho Ho." The lyrics are followed by Selena's beautiful voice, singing in Spanish about a little angel walking along the 12th street, who should be in school. She invites the child to come dance with her, urging her not to leave her alone.

The refrain repeats the invitation to dance, with the lyrics containing the irony of how God makes us dream but does not set us free, and how we are supposed to dance to songs we cannot hear. Selena's verse talks about the "Song of the Vampire" and how it represents the glory of love in their kingdom, but also points towards the destruction that their actions have caused. The song concludes with a plea to set the singer free, followed by the repeated invitation to come and dance.

Overall, the song is about the beauty of life and how we must cherish it by dancing to the tunes of our dreams, even when we cannot hear the music. It talks about the treacherous road of life, and the need to be present for the little angels that walk it, guiding them with love and care.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey Hey Hey Hey
Starting the song with exclamation and excitement.

Ho Ho Ho Ho
Adding to the excitement and creating a sense of anticipation.

Who calls this child to walk on her own?
Questioning who is responsible for the child's actions.

Who leads her down this treacherous road?
Questioning who is responsible for the dangerous path the child is taking.

She's dancing to a song we can't hear
Observing the child dancing to an unknown tune.

Caminando en calle doce
Walking along 12th street.

Debes estar en la escuela
You should be in school.

Dulce angelita, de qui¨¦n eres t¨²?
Asking whose child the sweet little angel is.

Come dance with me
Inviting the child to dance together.

God makes us dream, but won't set us free
Suggesting that although God gives us dreams, we are still bound by our circumstances.

God calls us dance to songs we can't hear
Suggesting that God calls us to dance to an unknown tune.