Roger Waters was the main lyricist for the classic British rock band Pink Floyd. He, along with Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright, formed the band in 1965 and released their first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in 1967. In 1968, Syd Barrett was replaced by guitarist/singer David Gilmour. He and Gilmour were the main creative forces behind the albums Meddle, Dark Side of the Moon, and Wish You Were Here; Waters eventually became the primary songwriter, being the driving force behind Animals, and The Wall as well as the sole songwriter of The Final Cut. Waters became well-known for being an intense perfectionist and his controlling nature alienated the rest of the band. The Final Cut, released in 1983, was essentially a Roger Waters solo album "performed by Pink Floyd" as the credits stated. This would be the group's last album with Waters. David Gilmour decided to carry on with Pink Floyd and Waters, believing that Pink Floyd was a "non-entity" without him, sued the rest of the band to retire the Pink Floyd name. His lawsuit ultimately failed, and Pink Floyd released three more studio albums and two double live albums, without him.
The feud between David Gilmour and Roger Waters lasted for decades, and it wasn't until Live 8 in 2005 that they finally decided to set their differences aside and perform a brief set for the charity gig. This would be the last time that Pink Floyd would ever perform together in their "classic" lineup. Shortly after the show, there was much speculation that Pink Floyd would get back together for a full reunion tour, but Gilmour ultimately nixed the idea, stating that although the Live 8 gig was fun, the rehearsals were not.
Much to everyone's surprise, Gilmour and Waters reunited once again on July 11, 2010 for a charity performance for “The Hoping Foundation,” an organization that supports Palestinian refugee kids. At Ronnie Scott’s club in London, the duo performed four songs together: “To Know Him Is to Love Him” (a cover of the old Teddy Bear’s song), “Wish You Were Here,” “Comfortably Numb,” and finally (after a special request) “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2.” Once again, just like after the Live 8 Reunion, speculation began regarding future reunions. No official Pink Floyd reunion has yet been set, but Gilmour did promise that he would join Roger Waters for one show on his 2010-11 “The Wall” tour, performing “Comfortably Numb.” Gilmour fulfilled his promise on May 14, 2011 in London.
Waters has so far released the following solo albums:
* Music from The Body soundtrack with Ron Geesin(1970)
* The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (1984)
* When the Wind Blows soundtrack with contributions from other artists as well (1986)
* Radio K.A.O.S. (1987)
* The Wall: Live in Berlin (1990)
* Amused to Death (1992)
* In the Flesh live (2000)
* Flickering Flame: The Solo Years, Vol. 1 (2003)
* Ça Ira (Opera) (2005)
*Is This the Life We Really Want? (2017)
*Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale (2018)
*The Lockdown Sessions (2022)
What God Wants
Roger Waters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What God wants God gets
The kid in the corner looked at the priest
And fingered his pale blue Japanese guitar
The priest said
God wants goodness
God wants light
God wants a clean fight
What God wants God gets
Don't look so surprised
It's only dogma
The alien prophet cried
The beetle and the springbok
Took the Bible from its hook
The monkey in the corner
Wrote the lesson in his book
What God wants God gets God help us all
God wants peace
God wants war
God wants famine
God wants chain stores
What God wants God gets
God wants sedition
God wants sex
God wants freedom
God wants semtex
What God wants God gets
Don't look so surprised
I'm only joking
The alien comic cried
The jackass and hyena
Took the feather from its hook
The monkey in the corner
Wrote the joke down in his book
What God wants God gets
God wants boarders
God wants crack
God wants rainfall
God wants wetbacks
What God wants God gets
God wants voodoo
God wants shrines
God wants law
God wants organized crime
God wants crusade
God wants jihad
God wants good
God wants bad
What God wants God gets
The lyrics of Roger Waters's song, What God Wants, can be interpreted in multiple ways. It is essentially a commentary on how people justify their actions by projecting their own desires and intentions onto God. The opening line about not minding war could be seen as a commentary on how people view wars as an entertainment event and how they root for their side to win regardless of the cost.
The song then progresses to talk about how people believe that they are carrying out God's desires when in reality, they are just following their own selfish agendas. The priest's words about what God wants is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on how people believe that their version of goodness, mayhem, clean fight, or any other thing they desire is what God wants. The alien prophet and alien comic in the song represent the marginalized and disenfranchised who view organized religion as a tool of oppression.
Waters uses various metaphors like the beetle and the springbok taking the Bible from its hook or the monkey in the corner writing the lesson in his book to critique the dogmatic beliefs of organized religion. The song ends with a list of polar opposites like God wants good and God wants bad, suggesting that people project their own desires onto God and there is no absolute moral compass.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't mind about the war, that's one of the things I like to watch, if it's a war going on, 'cause then I know if our side's winning, if our side's losing... (switch channels)
The singer enjoys watching war because it informs them about their side's success or failure.
What God wants God gets God help us all
God's will is unstoppable, and we may need divine assistance to survive it.
The kid in the corner looked at the priest
And fingered his pale blue Japanese guitar
The priest said:
God wants goodness
God wants light
God wants mayhem
God wants a clean fight
The kid and the priest discuss God's desires, which include a mix of contradictory qualities such as good, light, mayhem, and fairness.
What God wants God gets
Don't look so surprised
It's only dogma
The alien prophet cried
The alien foresees that God's will is non-negotiable, and people should not be surprised by it, even if it seems dogmatic.
The beetle and the springbok
Took the Bible from its hook
The monkey in the corner
Wrote the lesson in his book
What God wants God gets God help us all
Even animals recognize the power of the Bible, and God's will is universal and all-encompassing.
God wants peace
God wants war
God wants famine
God wants chain stores
What God wants God gets
God's desires include peace, war, deprivation, and commercialism, and there is no escaping them.
God wants sedition
God wants sex
God wants freedom
God wants semtex
What God wants God gets
Don't look so surprised
I'm only joking
The alien comic cried
God's will includes rebellion, sexual expression, liberation, and weapons of destruction, but the alien comic suggests this is a joke and not to be taken seriously.
The jackass and hyena
Took the feather from its hook
The monkey in the corner
Wrote the joke down in his book
What God wants God gets
Even animals appreciate humor, and God's will is not limited to humans or any particular group.
God wants borders
God wants crack
God wants rainfall
God wants wetbacks
What God wants God gets
God's will includes political boundaries, drug addiction, precipitation, and immigrants, regardless of whether we like it or not.
God wants voodoo
God wants shrines
God wants law
God wants organised crime
God wants crusade
God wants jihad
God wants good
God wants bad
What God wants God Gets
God's desires are varied and include religious practices, laws, crime, holy war, and moral ambiguity. Whatever God wants, God gets.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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Gordon Imrie
RIP Jeff, no one like you, one of the greatest guitarists ever
Rogelio Zaragoza
From the first note from his guitar to the very last, guts and glory. Mr Beck you've made an honorable contribution to music with your gift of playing. You will not be forgotten. God rest your soul.
Michael C. Seeley
:18 ❤
TheHuester44
Thank You Jeff ! So hard to believe he’s gone . I’ll never forget seeing him and SRV do an encore together. Rock and Roll Ecstasy 🙏👌😢☮️❤️
stuart mitchell
Incredible playing on this song mate
Doug Goodall
Jeff Beck's performance on this song was outstanding. RIP.
voodoochild1975az
Most underrated rock album in history? This work is pure musical genius from start to finish.
Finn Hansen
Absolutly YES
Keith Hakansson
Jeff beck's best work for me and Roger Walters what can yo say just so moving and connective. For me this is beyond Floyd but at this level it's all life changing
FIKUS & TOAST
I agree a very underrated Masterpiece