if
Paul Heaton Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

If god comes down
which he won't
Half the do-gooders
Will find they don't

If Jesus Christ's alive
which he's not
He'd get rid of
Every follower that he's got

Don't do what you can just say that you would
As long as it, makes you feel so good
Cleverly alter thou shalt into should
As long as it, makes you feel good

Chorus
Eden is blooming whilst poorest crop wilt
Does it rack you with guilt
Does it rack you with guilt
A freezing cold body would die for a quilt
Does it rack you with guilt
Does it rack you with guilt



If the Messiah
is due back down
How come the highest priests
Dressed up as clowns



If the Bible's made up
which it is
The last laugh can't be ours
It must be his



Bleed countries dry til they pray for a flood
as long as it makes you feel good
Bid them farwell leave their faces in the mud
As long as it makes you feel good



Chorus:

Water to wine or gold into blood
as long as it makes you feel good
You'd feed the 5,000 if the spotlight gained could
Make your self look bloody good



Chorus:

White unborns worth ten black workers blood spilt
Don't let that rack you with guilt




New roof for church whilst new houses not built
Don't let that rack you with guilt

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Paul Heaton's song "If" are a biting commentary on religion and morality. Heaton is questioning the very foundations of religious beliefs and their impact on human behavior. He suggests that even if God or Jesus were to come back, people would still find ways to justify their immoral actions. He highlights how people often twist religious teachings to justify their self-serving actions, rather than actually following the values that their faith preaches.


In the first verse, Heaton talks about how people who claim to be "do-gooders" would not actually live up to their moral ideals if faced with the reality of God's presence. This line suggests that people often only act moral when they think someone is watching, rather than actually being moral for its own sake. The second verse questions the existence of the Messiah and the authority of religious leaders, pointing out that many of them do not practice what they preach.


The chorus focuses on the hypocrisy of people who claim to be religious yet do nothing to alleviate the suffering of others. He suggests that instead of feeling guilt about their immoral actions, people often try to justify them with religious doctrine. The third verse criticizes the way people value material possessions over human life, contrasting the luxury of a new church roof to the lack of new houses for the homeless.


Overall, the song is a scathing indictment of the way that religious beliefs can be used to justify immoral behavior. Heaton's lyrics suggest that true morality should be based on empathy and compassion for others, rather than adherence to religious dogma.


Line by Line Meaning

If god comes down which he won't Half the do-gooders Will find they don't
If there is a God, which is unlikely, many people who claim to be good will realize they are not.


If Jesus Christ's alive which he's not He'd get rid of Every follower that he's got
If Jesus were alive, he would reject all those who use his name to do harm.


Don't do what you can just say that you would As long as it, makes you feel so good Cleverly alter thou shalt into should As long as it, makes you feel good
Don't just talk about what you could do, make the effort to do it even if it's not required. Change the rigid "you shall" to a more flexible "you should" to make yourself feel better.


Chorus Eden is blooming whilst poorest crop wilt Does it rack you with guilt Does it rack you with guilt A freezing cold body would die for a quilt Does it rack you with guilt Does it rack you with guilt
The beautiful world we live in is full of suffering and inequality. Does that make you feel guilty? Would you feel guilty if you saw someone dying from the cold?


If the Messiah is due back down How come the highest priests Dressed up as clowns
If the Messiah is really coming, why do the religious leaders act foolish and hypocritical?


If the Bible's made up which it is The last laugh can't be ours It must be his
If the Bible is not literally true, then it's not our victory to claim. It belongs to God or some other higher power.


Bleed countries dry til they pray for a flood as long as it makes you feel good Bid them farwell leave their faces in the mud As long as it makes you feel good
Exploit other nations until they are helpless and dependent, if it makes you feel powerful. Abandon them even if it means they suffer, if it makes you feel good.


Chorus: Water to wine or gold into blood as long as it makes you feel good You'd feed the 5,000 if the spotlight gained could Make your self look bloody good
You would perform miraculous deeds for your own benefit, not out of true compassion. You would feed the masses only if it made you famous and well-regarded.


Chorus: White unborns worth ten black workers blood spilt Don't let that rack you with guilt New roof for church whilst new houses not built Don't let that rack you with guilt
The lives of white fetuses are considered more valuable than the lives of black workers. Don't feel guilty about this fact. Don't let yourself be bothered by religious institutions prioritizing their own comfort over social justice.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SCOTT SHIELDS, PAUL HEATON, MARTIN SLATTERY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Dan Tweedy

Great tune from great unrealized album. I especailly like "Poems" and "The Perfect Couple", but this track is great, too. (This is his 2nd song called "if". There was also a Beautiful South tune by the same name).

More Versions