Interview with Keith Levene, May 2001.
Religion II
Public Image Ltd. Lyrics
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While the hypocrites hide inside
With the lies of statues in their minds
Where the Christian religion made them blind
Where they hide
And prey to the God of a bitch spelled backwards is dog
Not for one race, one creed, one world
But for money
Absurd
This is religion
There's a liar on the altar
The sermon never falter
This is religion
Do you pray to the Holy Ghost when you suck your host
Do you read who's dead in the Irish Post
Do you give away the cash you can't afford
On bended knees and pray to lord
Fat pig priest
Sanctimonious smiles
He takes the money
You take the lies
This is religion
A liar on the altar
Sermon never falter
This is religion
This is religion and Jesus Christ
This is religion cheaply priced
This is bibles full of libel
This is sin in eternal hymn
This is what they've done
This is your religion
The apostles were eleven
Now there's a sod in Heaven
This is religion
Liar on the altar
The sermon never falter
This is religion
This is religion
This is religion
This is religion
This is religion
This is religion
A liar on the altar
A sermon never falter
This is religion
This is religion
Your religion
And it's all falling to bits gloriously
This is religion
The lyrics to Public Image Ltd.'s Religion II are a cynical and biting critique of organized religion, targeting the hypocrisy and corruption that often resides within its walls. The first verse describes the physical setting of a church, with stained glass windows providing a barrier against the outside world. However, the true hypocrisy lies within the churchgoers themselves, who hide behind lies and false beliefs perpetuated by statues and the Christian religion. The last two lines reveal the real motive behind these actions - not for the sake of spirituality or moral righteousness, but for the pursuit of wealth.
The second verse delves into more specific examples of the corruption within religious institutions. The opening line paints a vivid image of a person praying to the Holy Ghost while engaging in sexual acts. The mention of the Irish Post and giving away money reveals the potential scamming and greed that can take place in the name of religion. The lines "Fat pig priest / Sanctimonious smiles / He takes the money / You take the lies" summarize the idea of the corrupt and hypocritical religious leader taking advantage of their followers' naivety and desperation.
The chorus repeats the phrase "This is religion" several times, almost as if the phrase itself becomes meaningless as it is repeated. The idea of a liar on the altar and an unchanging sermon accentuate the stagnant and regressive nature of organized religion. The final lines of the song - "This is religion / Your religion / And it's all falling to bits gloriously" - suggest that the singer sees the fall of religion as a necessary and welcome progression.
Line by Line Meaning
Stained glass windows keep the cold outside
The beauty of the stained glass windows is deceiving because they do not truly protect from the cold.
While the hypocrites hide inside
People who do not truly follow their religion pretend to follow it and hide inside the church.
With the lies of statues in their minds
People pretend to follow the truth when they really believe the lies of the church.
Where the Christian religion made them blind
The Christian religion causes people to be deceived and not see the truth.
Where they hide
People hide their true intentions and beliefs in the church.
And prey to the God of a bitch spelled backwards is dog
People worship a deity who is not as great as they believe and disregard the true nature of the divine by spelling a word backwards.
Not for one race, one creed, one world
Religion should not be exclusive and should be practiced by everyone.
But for money
It seems that there is little sincerity or faith in religion, as it is often motivated by money.
This is religion
This is what religion has become in our world today.
There's a liar on the altar
The church leaders often lie and deceive people in their sermons.
The sermon never falter
Despite the lies and deception, the church leaders continue to mislead people with their sermons.
Do you pray to the Holy Ghost when you suck your host
Do you believe in and worship the Holy Ghost while consuming the Eucharist?
Do you read who's dead in the Irish Post
Do you read about the dead in the newspaper?
Do you give away the cash you can't afford
Do you give away money that you cannot afford to lose?
On bended knees and pray to lord
Do you pray to the Lord with humility?
Fat pig priest
A description of corrupt church leaders who are often overweight and greedy.
Sanctimonious smiles
Hypocritical leaders who deceive people with their smile and false piety.
He takes the money
Church leaders take their followers' money for their own greedy purposes.
You take the lies
People in the church take in the lies of the church leaders without questioning them.
This is religion and Jesus Christ
This is what the religion is supposed to be about, but it has been corrupted by greed and lies.
This is religion cheaply priced
Religion has been commodified and sold cheaply to the people.
This is bibles full of libel
The Bible is full of lies and slanderous statements towards other religions and people.
This is sin in eternal hymn
The church has turned sin into a moral obligation and regular part of religious worship.
This is what they've done
This is what the leaders and church have done to the religion.
This is your religion
This is what people choose to believe in and follow as their religion.
The apostles were eleven
There were eleven apostles who believed in Jesus and spread his teachings before Judas betrayed him.
Now there's a sod in Heaven
This line is a play on words, implying that Judas went to Heaven as a homosexual (sod being slang for homosexual) or that nobody goes to Heaven.
Your religion
The religion you choose to practice or follow.
And it's all falling to bits gloriously
Religion is collapsing in grand fashion due to the greed, lies, and deception of its leaders.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DONAT WALKER JAMES, JOHN LYDON, JOHN JOSEPH WARDLE, KEITH LEVENE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind