This song, like many Portugal. The Man tunes, features the theme of atheism or not having strict beliefs in a certain line of faith. In this point of the album, the narrator starts to embrace his “evilness” as he concludes that he can’t live a righteous life.
"We were in El Paso, Texas, we’re going to make the record ourselves, we’re going to self produce, but you get a call that Danger Mouse wants to check it out, you have to do it. He’s one of those kind of iconic producers of today.
Visconte would get up and he’d play the bass with Bowie. That’s really important in a producer — a producer that can step up and play a keyboard, play a bass, play a guitar and help you with things, instead of just saying ‘I think this could be better.’
Take “Modern Jesus” for example. He just stood up at one point and said ‘Man, I think I got something,’ and he played the keyboard hook in that song."
—John Gourley, wbur
Modern Jesus
Portugal. The Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know we've got
We've got what you need
We may be liars preaching to choirs
But we can, we can sell your dreams
You don't need sympathy
They got a pill for everything
Ring it out to wash it down, but
Don't pray for us
We don't need no modern Jesus
To roll with us
The only rule we need is never
Giving up
The only faith we have is faith in us
We're the ones who start little fires
Yet they burn out
But when they're on the rise they can't help but shine
And when the wave approaches Take our ashes to the ocean
Who cares if hell awaits?
We're having drinks at heaven's gate
Don't pray for us
We don't need no modern Jesus
To roll with us
The only rule we need is never
Giving up
The only faith we have is faith in us
We know that we're helpless
At least we always assume
But we don't need to prove nothing to you
Let's keep the cool
You don't need to feel blue
'Cause we won't sell you nothing
You can't use
Don't pray for us
We don't need no modern Jesus
To roll with us
The only rule we need is never
Giving up
The only faith we have is faith in us
The lyrics of Modern Jesus by Portugal. The Man are both satirical and stirring. In the beginning of the song, they invite the listener to take a seat with them, offering whatever the listener needs. However, they admit that they may be liars preaching to choirs, indicating that they may not be genuine in their offer. They mock the reliance on pills for all of life's woes and suggest that consumers simply wash away negative feelings. The chorus tells a story of self-sufficiency, mistrust of religion or divine intervention, and self-reliance. They reject the notion of a modern-day Jesus that could solve all their problems. They believe in themselves and their ability to succeed without relying on any spiritual or religious belief.
The second verse addresses the listeners as "you" and encourages them to stay calm and not feel blue, as they won't be sold anything they can't use. They admit helplessness but believe that they don't need to prove anything to anyone. The ending is cinematic, describing the aftermath of little fires they start, knowing that they will ultimately burn out, but they will still shine when on the rise. They face the inevitable end with nonchalance, believing that their ashes won't matter as they're having drinks at heaven's gate.
Overall, the song is about rejecting religion/faith and finding self-belief instead. They celebrate the importance of self-reliance and perseverance, as well as acknowledging the inevitability of failure. The song ends on a positive note, inviting the listener to join them at heaven's gate to have drinks, regardless of what awaits them.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on in take a seat next to me
Join us and be a part of our group
You know we got
We have everything you need
We got what you need
We offer what you desire
We may be liars preaching to choirs but we can
We may not always tell the truth, but we can convince anyone
We can sell your dreams
We can make your fantasies come true
You don't need sympathy
You don't need pity
They got a pill for everything
Medicine can cure anything
Just take that dark cloud
Get rid of your sadness
Ring it out to wash it down, but
Let it go, but don't dwell on it
Don't pray for us
We don't need your prayers
We don't need no modern Jesus
We don't need anyone to lead us
To roll with us
To join us
The only rule we need is never Giving up
Our only mantra is to never give up
The only faith we have is faith in us
We only believe in ourselves
We're the ones who start little fires
We start small projects
Yet they burn out
But they often fail
But when they're on the rise they can't help but shine
When they succeed, they are exceptional
And when the wave approaches Take our ashes to the ocean
When we die, scatter our ashes in the ocean
Who cares if hell awaits?
Why worry about the afterlife?
We're having drinks at heaven's gate
We're living life to the fullest right now
We know that we're helpless
We are aware of our limitations
At least we always assume
We always presume
But we don't need to prove nothing to you
We don't need to show you anything
Let's keep the cool
Let's stay calm
You don't need to feel blue
You don't need to be sad
'Cause we won't sell you nothing You can't use
Because we won't sell you something useless
Don't pray for us
We don't need your prayers
We don't need no modern Jesus
We don't need anyone to lead us
To roll with us
To join us
The only rule we need is never Giving up
Our only mantra is to never give up
The only faith we have is faith in us
We only believe in ourselves
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Baldwin Gourley, Brian Joseph Burton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@luissantos3232
Greetings from Portugal, the land. :)
@joaopaulosilva2943
Tambem sou tuga
@joaooliveira9805
Por acaso n sabem a razao de a banda se chamar assim?
@sirpe3217
@@joaooliveira9805 explica ai
@gregsgrazina2286
Alter ego - E na verdade podia ter sido qualquer outro país, mas quando a banda começou a dizer Portugal the man apenas lhes suou muito be😉
@cosmicaleclipse
Portugal, CARALHO!
@kellyparkinson8594
One of the best video productions I've seen. Americana at the core. No glamour just glimpses of real life.
@caitlinbrown7727
Yes I always come back to this video years later. I think it says a lot about masculinity in America in particular
@ImpaledCaptain7
Hi have u heard of this song called Time by The Impures, is a bop listen to it
@juliarodriguez218
The footage is very powerful. I would love to see the unreleased footage from the filming. All the subjects have their own stories.