Atheists Don't Have No Songs
Steve Martin/The Steep Canyon Rangers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You know, religious people have such beautiful music and art
And athiests really have nothing...

Until now!

A little tune called "Athiests Don't Have No Songs"

(Christians have)
Christians have their hymns and pages.
(Hymns and pages)
Hava Nagila's for the Jews.
(For the Jews)
Baptists have the rock of ages.
(Rock of ages)
Atheists just sing the blues.

(Romantics play)
Romantics play Claire de Lune.
(Claire de Lune)
Born agains sing He is risen.
But no one ever wrote a tune.
(Wrote a tune)
For godless existentialism.
(For godless existentialism)

For Atheists,
There's no good news.
They'll never sing,
A song of faith.

In their songs,
They have a rule.
The "he" is always lowercase.
The "he" is always lowercase.

(Some folks sing)
Some folks sing a Bach cantata.
(Bach cantata)
Lutherans get Christmas trees.
Atheist songs add up to nada.
(Up to nada)
But they do have Sundays free.
(Have Sundays free)

(Pentecostals sing)
Pentecostals sing, sing to heaven,
(Sing to heaven)
Gothics had the books of scrolls,
(Numerologists count)
Numerologists count, count to seven,
(Count to seven)
Atheists have rock and roll.

For atheists,
There's no good news.
They'll never sing,
A song of faith.

In their songs,
They have a rule.
The "he" is always lowercase.
The "he" is always lowercase.

Atheists
Atheists
Atheists
Don't have no songs!

(Christians have)
Christians have their hymns and pages.
(Hymns and pages)
Hava Nagila's for the Jews.
(For the Jews)
Baptists have the rock of ages.
(Rock of ages)
Atheists just sing the blues.

Catholics,
Dress up for mass.
And listen to,
Gregorian chants.

Atheists,
Just take a pass.
Watch football in their underpants.
Watch football in their underpants.

Atheists
Atheists
Atheists




Don't have no songs!
(Don't have no songs)

Overall Meaning

The song "Atheists Don't Have No Songs" by Steve Martin is a humorous commentary on the lack of musical tradition in the atheist community. The opening lines of the song state that religious people have beautiful music and art, while atheists have nothing until this little tune comes along. The song then goes on to list examples of religious music, from hymns and pages for Christians to Hava Nagila for Jews, and contrasts them with what atheists have to offer, which is essentially nothing.


The song uses satire to point out the lack of a cohesive musical tradition within atheism, which is perhaps due to its lack of a central religious authority or community. The lyrics mention that atheists just sing the blues, implying that without faith, life can feel empty and devoid of meaning. However, the song also highlights the free and liberating aspects of atheism, such as having Sundays free and not being constrained by certain religious rules.


Overall, the song is a lighthearted commentary on the intersection of music and religion, with a touch of social commentary thrown in. Despite its humorous tone, it does raise some interesting questions about the role of music in different belief systems.


Line by Line Meaning

Christians have their hymns and pages.
Christians have their own religious music and literature.


Hava Nagila's for the Jews.
Jews have their own religious folk song called Hava Nagila.


Baptists have the rock of ages.
Baptists have their own favorite hymn called Rock of Ages.


Atheists just sing the blues.
Atheists do not have any well-known songs celebrating their lack of faith.


Romantics play Claire de Lune.
Romantic people enjoy playing the piece Claire de Lune.


Born agains sing He is risen.
Born again Christians sing a song about the resurrection of Jesus called He is Risen.


But no one ever wrote a tune.
However, no one has written a well-known song about living a godless existence.


For godless existentialism.
For the philosophy of living without religion.


For Atheists,
For people without belief in a god,


There's no good news.
There isn't any positive message or music


They'll never sing,
Because of their lack of faith,


A song of faith.
They will never sing a religious song.


In their songs,
When atheists create music,


They have a rule.
They generally follow the same style.


The "he" is always lowercase.
When referring to supernatural entities, the atheists refer to it with a lowercase "h".


Some folks sing a Bach cantata.
Some people enjoy singing compositions from J.S. Bach.


Lutherans get Christmas trees.
Lutherans decorate Christmas trees during the holiday season.


Atheist songs add up to nada.
However, there are no famous songs created by atheists.


But they do have Sundays free.
Despite not attending church, atheists still have a free day on a Sunday.


Pentecostals sing, sing to heaven,
Pentecostals sing songs of praise to heaven.


Gothics had the books of scrolls,
Gothic people typically read books of religious scriptures.


Numerologists count, count to seven,
Numerologists are fond of counting to the number seven.


Atheists have rock and roll.
Atheist people traditionally enjoy rock and roll music.


Catholics,
People who follow the Catholic faith,


Dress up for mass.
Wear formal attire when attending church services.


And listen to,
Attendees enjoy listening to


Gregorian chants.
Singing Gregorian chants in Latin.


Just take a pass.
Atheists would much prefer not to go to church at all.


Watch football in their underpants.
Atheists may instead choose to watch football at home in their comfortable clothing.


Atheists
People without faith,


Don't have no songs!
Don't have any notable songs




Lyrics ยฉ HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP

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Comments from YouTube:

@joelsassone1182

Steve Martin's not just a virtuoso banjo player and comedian. He also has a helluva voice.

@adriad4855

Humor that is relatable to everyone without being attackingly offensive to anyone is a dying art! Bless you Mr. Martin for helping all of us laugh at ourselves.

@trueaussie9230

Don't worry.
Someone will find a way to be offended. ๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ˜Š

@GoogleIsTooInvasive

@@trueaussie9230Iโ€™m not offended by the songโ€ฆ but I am offended by these comments

@TheDoctor1225

@@trueaussie9230 Unfortunately, yes. I'm a born again Christian, myself, and I thought the song was hilarious. Well written, well thought out and very clever. I remember (and miss) the days when pretty much anyone was fair game and only the overly sensitive "got offended." Now, sadly, it's very much different and "offense" has become a national pastime on all sides of the spectrum.

@trueaussie9230

@@TheDoctor1225
๐Ÿ‘ it seems 'offended' has become the default setting for 99% of people these days.
Certainly those born after 1980.
Fortunately some of us 'old codgers' still know how to laugh at life.

@loridresser9420

Steve Martin is a brilliant man.

@martinrhoads6168

As an atheist I use to hang my head in shame for not having a song. Now I can walk proud with my head up at last. Hallelujah .

@flowzerr4550

"Watch football in their underpants!" ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚

@calebfranks3903

Praise God!

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