William Seward Burroughs II (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an Amer… Read Full Bio ↴William Seward Burroughs II (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American novelist, essayist, social critic and spoken word performer. Much of Burroughs' work is semi-autobiographical cut-up stories. He saw all his writing as a single, vast book.

He is generally allied with the Beats, and while he was close friends with the true Beats like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, his writing never fit with the Beatnik style. His first couple of novels, Junkie (or Junky) and Queer, were written in a style reminiscent of hard-boiled detective novels. As he became more comfortable with expressing himself through writing, his "routines" were assembled into his most famous work, Naked Lunch , published in 1959. His "cut-up" technique, developed subsequently with fellow inventor-poet Brion Gysin, took over his literary style to produce a number of lesser-known works. With the publication in 1981 of the trilogy starting with Cities of the Red Night he embarked on a further development of style aimed at achieving his expressed intent to "write the great American novel".

Such a vast amount could be written about Burroughs' life and legacy; perhaps "lives and legacies" would be more appropriate. His influences are uncountably and immeasurably wide-reaching; it has been argued that without his tape cut-ups, we'd not have thought of sampling and therefore we'd never have had techno. Equally, without his transgressive, libertarian, shocking subject matter, we may never have had punk or industrial. In his later life he was championed and courted by these fringe elements of society and art.

the lord's prayer
William S. Burroughs Lyrics

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Our Father
Who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On Earth as it is
In Heaven
(Give us this day our daily bread)

And forgive our debts
As we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For Thine is the kingdom
And the power
And the glory

Forever
Amen

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of William S. Burroughs's song "The Lord's Prayer" are a faithful representation of the Christian prayer of the same name. The opening lines of the song, "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name" refer to God as a divine being in whom all believers put their faith. The following lines, "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven" underscore the importance of God's will and the manifestation of His kingdom on Earth.

The prayer then urges believers to ask for their daily bread, signifying their daily needs and affirming their dependence on God. The lines "and forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors" reveal the importance of forgiveness in Christianity, asking God to forgive their sins as they forgive those who have sinned against them. The next line, "and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," asks God for protection from the temptations of sin and to protect them from all forms of evil.

The Lord's Prayer ends with a reminder of God's omnipotence and everlasting glory, declaring that the kingdom, power, and glory belong to Him forever. Overall, the lyrics of "The Lord's Prayer" are an expression of faith, trust, and hope in God's infinite capacity to provide, protect and guide his children through life.

Line by Line Meaning

Our Father
Dear Creator and Protector of all humanity,

Who art in Heaven
Who resides in a place beyond our mortal realm,

Hallowed be Thy name
May Your name be revered and treated with utmost respect,

Thy kingdom come
Please bring Your divine realm to Earth,

Thy will be done
May Your wishes and desires be fulfilled,

On Earth as it is
We ask for Earth to be a reflection of your heavenly realm,

In Heaven
Where Your presence is eternal and ever-present,

(Give us this day our daily bread)
Provide us with the sustenance we need to sustain ourselves,

And forgive our debts
Please absolve us of our mistakes and wrongdoings,

As we forgive our debtors
Just as we forgive those who have wronged us in the past,

And lead us not into temptation
Guide us away from making mistakes and succumbing to negative influences,