Children Of God
Paul Gordon Lyrics
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Form classes! Silence! Order!
SCHOOLGIRLS
We are the children of God
And we praise His word
We are blind in His love
In His love we will trust
MISS SCATCHERD
Girls, don't slouch, keep in line
Or my nerves will snap
Do not whisper or breathe
Or I'll show you the strap
SCHOOLGIRLS
Oh, grateful we are for our daily bread
Oh, if only just once it could be instead
Sweet cakes and cottage pie
Food we could identify
BROCKLEHURST
I have a word to address to the students,
Here is a girl who is new to our school,
Her name is Jane Eyre,
And she is brought here by her excellent benefactress, Mrs. Reed
MRS. REED
I should wish her to be brought up in a manner suiting her prospects -
To be made useful - to be kept humble.
We must punish the flesh
She's prone to deceit
I would caution you not to be
Fooled by her lies
BROCKLEHURST
Deceit is a cardinal sin
MRS. REED
She knows not the danger she's in
BROCKLEHURST
These are the children of God
She will quickly learn
That a child deceitful Forever shall burn
MR. BROCKLEHURST
Disciplines are bornTo be humble and suffer
Punish the flesh to chasten the spirit
Purity comes from the pain of correction
The torment of martyrsIs holy and Christian
Starving the body will never extinguish the soul!
SCHOOLGIRLS
We are the children of God
And we praise His word
We are blind in His loveIn His love we must trust
For we are taught that we must
We are the children of God
But we find it queerIf we're really His childrenWhy isn't He here?
MRS. REED
Let this teach you!
Let this teach you! Wicked child!
Horrid wretched child! God despises you!
MISS SCATCHERD
She is depraved
The girl will be watched, sir
Every hourStand very still
All eyes will be watching
Watching a shameful child
SCHOOLGIRLS
We are the children of God
And we praise his Word
Blind in his love
We're charity children
No mother or fatherJust heavenly care
God blesses our soulsAnd yet we despair
The lyrics to Paul Gordon's song Children of God speak of the obedience and blind faith expected from young girls in a strict boarding school. BROCKLEHURST, the headmaster of the school, is insistent on discipline, order, and silence. The schoolgirls sing about being the children of God and how they must praise His word, trust in His love, and be grateful for their daily bread. However, this obedience and faith are not elevated through kindness and love. Rather they are imposed through fear and punishment.
MISS SCATCHERD, one of the teachers in the school, warns the girls not to move or breathe or they'll be punished with a strap. She commands them to stay in line and not slouch. The lyrics demonstrate how the girls long for actual food that they can recognize and enjoy, rather than the meager food they are given. BROCKLEHURST introduces Jane Eyre, a new girl in the school, and warns everyone not to fall for her deceitful ways. MRS. REED adds to the warning and labels Jane Eyre as a wicked child deserving of God's despise.
The lyrics are reflective of the strict and harsh educational environments that existed in the past, particularly for girls. The song portrays how such institutions aimed to control, mold and indoctrinate children through fear and punishment. The girls in the song yearn for a more compassionate and loving God, one who would bless them with more than just basic necessities. The song questions the idea of being the children of God and the paradox of a God who demands obedience and punishes his children.
Line by Line Meaning
Form classes! Silence! Order!
Brocklehurst demands organization and discipline from the students.
We are the children of God
And we praise His word
We are blind in His love
In His love we will trust
For we are taught that we must
The schoolgirls are taught to trust and praise God wholeheartedly, being blinded by the love they have for Him and following His word.
Girls, don't slouch, keep in line
Or my nerves will snap
Do not whisper or breathe
Or I'll show you the strap
Miss Scatcherd threatens the girls with physical punishment if they do not follow her strict guidelines of silence and good posture.
Oh, grateful we are for our daily bread
Oh, if only just once it could be instead
Sweet cakes and cottage pie
Food we could identify
The schoolgirls appreciate their daily meal, however, they long for something more familiar.
I have a word to address to the students,
Here is a girl who is new to our school,
Her name is Jane Eyre,
And she is brought here by her excellent benefactress, Mrs. Reed
Brocklehurst introduces the new student, Jane Eyre, to the school and gives her benefactress some recognition.
I should wish her to be brought up in a manner suiting her prospects -
To be made useful - to be kept humble.
We must punish the flesh
She's prone to deceit
I would caution you not to be
Fooled by her lies
Mrs. Reed hopes Jane will be taught in a way that prepares her for her future. She warns others of Jane's deceitfulness, encourages her to be punished to stay humble and cautions people to not be fooled by her.
Deceit is a cardinal sin
Brocklehurst proclaims that deceit is one of the most important sins.
She knows not the danger she's in
Mrs. Reed feels that Jane does not understand the danger she is in due to her deceitful tendencies.
These are the children of God
She will quickly learn
That a child deceitful Forever shall burn
Brocklehurst believes that all of the students are children of God, however, Jane will learn quickly that deceitful people will suffer eternally.
Disciplines are bornTo be humble and suffer
Punish the flesh to chasten the spirit
Purity comes from the pain of correction
The torment of martyrsIs holy and Christian
Starving the body will never extinguish the soul!
Mr. Brocklehurst preaches about the importance of punishment and self-discipline, stating that hardships will lead to purity and a stronger faith, and that starving oneself will not lead to enlightenment.
We're charity children
No mother or fatherJust heavenly care
God blesses our soulsAnd yet we despair
The schoolgirls are charity children who have no parental care, only relying on the care of God. However, they still despair despite being blessed.
Let this teach you!
Let this teach you! Wicked child!
Horrid wretched child! God despises you!
Mrs. Reed scolds Jane, calling her wicked and horrid, and claiming that God hates her.
She is depraved
The girl will be watched, sir
Every hourStand very still
All eyes will be watching
Watching a shameful child
Miss Scatcherd accuses Jane of being depraved and plans to watch her every move, embarrassing her in front of the other girls.
Contributed by Owen C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.