Teen For God
Dar Williams Lyrics


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The sun burns down
Leaving God's bright stamp
On Peach Branch Horse and Bible Camp
Where we're splashing in the water
Joined in song
Swimming with the Spirit the whole day long
I'm a teen for God
God is watching, teen for God
God is watching, teen for God

The girls have looks and the girls have rules
They came here from their Bible schools
They can make you pay attention
To the way you dress and eat
Make you trip over your own two feet and they
Kneel down on their towels at night
Their nightgowns glow with a Holy light
And we pray for the sinners
And their drunken car wrecks
And vow that I'll never get high
And have sex
I'm a teen for God

God is watching, teen for God
God is watching, teen for God

And God made every leaf on every tree
Each grain of sand
God has a plan
For what we're meant to be
I gotta wait for God

Dear Lord
I plan each day
The things I will not do or say
But I'm driven by a passion
Is it only there to tame?
It fills my heart and it calls my name and
This world that you made for us
I know, I know, is dangerous
So I ride a lot of horses
And I never even swear
Sorta like praying I'm just not there

Oh God

God is watching, oh God
God is watching

But God made love
God made the rivers run
And cowboy boots and bathing suits
And the boy's skin dries in the sun
You gotta help me, God

Help me know, four years from now
I won't believe in you anyhow
And I'll mope around the campus
And I'll feel betrayed
All those guilty summers I stayed
But then I'll laugh
That I fell for the lure
Of the pain of desire to feel so pure
And I'll bear all the burdens
Of my little daily crimes
Wish I had a God for such cynical times
Far from today

But for now I'm a sacred vessel
Rip me open, I spread your word
Like a milkweed pod
I'm a radio station,
Your Holy transmission
Even more, like a lightning rod

I'm a lightning rod, a teen for God





God is watching, teen for God
God is watching... a teen for God

Overall Meaning

The song "Teen for God" by Dar Williams depicts the life and thoughts of a teenager attending the Peach Branch Horse and Bible Camp. The lyrics express the singer's intense devotion to God and how it shapes every aspect of their life, including their physical appearance and behavior. The singer highlights the strict rules and expectations imposed on them by their fellow campers, making them worry about tripping over their own feet or risking eternal damnation in the eyes of God.


The chorus "God is watching, teen for God" repeats throughout the song, which emphasizes the singer's perception of God as an ever-watchful presence in their life. The singer recognizes the danger and vulnerability of the world but finds comfort in their faith and prays for the sins of the sinners. However, towards the end of the song, the singer feels conflicted about their devotion to God and questions whether they will still believe in a few years.


Overall, the song captures the intense devotion to God that some teenagers experience and how it shapes their thoughts and actions at a formative age. It also highlights the conflict between wanting to be pure and faithful while also acknowledging human desires and weaknesses.


Line by Line Meaning

The sun burns down
The hot sun beats down on everyone at the camp.


Leaving God's bright stamp
The campers feel that this heat is God's way of blessing the camp.


On Peach Branch Horse and Bible Camp
The name of the camp the song is talking about is Peach Branch Horse and Bible Camp.


Where we're splashing in the water
Everyone at the camp is playing in the water.


Joined in song
The campers are singing together.


Swimming with the Spirit the whole day long
The campers feel like they are swimming with God's spirit throughout the whole day.


I'm a teen for God
The singer identifies as a teenager who is devoted to God.


God is watching, teen for God
The singer feels that God is always watching them and they are aware of their actions.


The girls have looks and the girls have rules
The girls from Bible school who came to the camp have many rules they follow but maintain a strict dress code.


They came here from their Bible schools
The girls who have strict dress codes and rules come from Bible school.


They can make you pay attention
The rules these girls follow help others to be proper and mindful of their behavior.


To the way you dress and eat
These strict girls base their rules about the way you dress and eat.


Make you trip over your own two feet and they
They're so strict that they make you nervous and trip on your own feet.


Kneel down on their towels at night
The girls kneel down to pray at night.


Their nightgowns glow with a Holy light
The singer describes the girls' nightgowns as having a holy essence to them.


And we pray for the sinners
They pray for sinners at night.


And their drunken car wrecks
They specifically pray for people involved in drunk driving car accidents.


And vow that I'll never get high
The singer vows not to take drugs.


And have sex
The singer vows not to have sex before marriage.


But God made every leaf on every tree
God is responsible for creating everything in nature.


Each grain of sand
God made every grain of sand on the beach.


God has a plan
God has a plan for everything.


For what we're meant to be
God has a purpose for each individual's life.


I gotta wait for God
The singer trusts in God and the process of life.


Dear Lord
The singer addresses God in prayer.


I plan each day
The singer tries to be intentional about their daily actions.


The things I will not do or say
The singer has a set of rules he follows, including things he chooses not to say or do.


But I'm driven by a passion
The singer is motivated by an internal desire to do more than just follow the rules.


Is it only there to tame?
The singer questions whether his passion is meant to be suppressed by the rules.


It fills my heart and it calls my name and
The passion is strong and compelling.


This world that you made for us
God created the world.


I know, I know, is dangerous
The singer is aware that the world is full of danger.


So I ride a lot of horses
The singer finds pleasure in spending time riding horses to temporarily escape from danger.


And I never even swear
The singer chooses not to swear.


Sorta like praying I'm just not there
Not swearing feels similar to not being noticed, which the singer prefers.


But God made love
Love is a creation of God.


God made the rivers run
God is responsible for the flow of rivers.


And cowboy boots and bathing suits
God is responsible for the creation of cowboy boots and bathing suits.


And the boy's skin dries in the sun
The singer points out the natural process of the boy's skin drying in the sun, another creation of God.


You gotta help me, God
The singer asks for God's help.


Help me know, four years from now
The singer wants guidance to know where they'll be in the future and how they'll feel.


I won't believe in you anyhow
The singer is uncertain if they will still have faith.


And I'll mope around the campus
The singer thinks they'll feel sad and listless at the college campus.


And I'll feel betrayed
The singer feels as though they would be disloyal to their faith by losing confidence in God.


All those guilty summers I stayed
The singer will feel guilty for remaining devoted to God during previous summers if he stops believing later in life.


But then I'll laugh
The singer thinks that he'll find humor in his faith journey.


That I fell for the lure
The singer will laugh that he was led by faith even knowing that other things in life pull at his attention.


Of the pain of desire to feel so pure
The singer was drawn to the appeal of purity.


And I'll bear all the burdens
The singer knows that he would face the consequences of his actions, whether he loses his faith or not.


Of my little daily crimes
The singer is aware that no one is perfect and humans make mistakes.


Wish I had a God for such cynical times
The singer misses having the comfort of religion in a more cynical world.


Far from today
This seems like a far-off issue.


But for now I'm a sacred vessel
The singer currently feels empowered by faith.


Rip me open, I spread your word
The singer wants to share and spread his faith to others.


Like a milkweed pod
The singer's words flow freely and naturally, like a seed carrying in the wind of a milkweed pod.


I'm a radio station,
The singer is an open channel and wants to share their faith with the world.


Your Holy transmission
The singer is transmitting God's will and message.


Even more, like a lightning rod
The singer wants to be a stronger conduit or channel for God's message.


God is watching, teen for God
The closing line reiterates the singer's conviction and belief in God watching over him and others.




Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAR WILLIAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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