Lyrics to the song Bright Eyes played on Leno last night
You can download the song here.
“When The President Talks To God”
When the president talks to God
Are the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to rape our women’s’ rights
And send poor farm kids off to die?
Does God suggest an oil hike
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
Are the consonants all hard or soft?
Is he resolute all down the line?
Is every issue black or white?
Does what God say ever change his mind
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?
Agree which convicts should be killed?
Where prisons should be built and filled?
Which voter fraud must be concealed
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
I wonder which one plays the better cop
We should find some jobs. the ghetto’s broke
No, they’re lazy, George, I say we don’t
Just give ‘em more liquor stores and dirty coke
That’s what God recommends
When the president talks to God
Do they drink near beer and go play golf
While they pick which countries to invade
Which Muslim souls still can be saved?
I guess god just calls a spade a spade
When the president talks to God
When the president talks to God
Does he ever think that maybe he’s not?
That that voice is just inside his head
When he kneels next to the presidential bed
Does he ever smell his own bullshit
When the president talks to God?
I doubt it
I doubt it
despite a few good (obvious) points, very trite and poorly phrased. the prez shouldn’t be the only one smelling his own bullshit.
Fuck you, man. I’m to busy being tortured to write good lyrics.
Hmmm…uh….yeah….
Real deep, man….
Wow, Bright Eyes is the poet of the ages!
And how original too!
Trite? Maybe. Poorly phrased? Perhaps. At least the people who watch network television heard something other than the blind, naive patriotic babble usually flowing from NBC.
yeah i made a fuckload of money writing shit like this.
**Applauds for Wilson K**
it’s very dylan. i didn’t see the leno, but he was playing that song at those town hall shows and it’s a total dylan inspired song with lyrics that i think are actually pretty funny.
anyway, stephen gaylord of albany, ny did this better like 5 years ago:
you got oj riding shotgun
you got johnny cochran on the case
you got the black qb’s and the white og’s
willin’ to die for the millions they made
got ronald reagan and che guevara
smokin cocaine-laced marijuana
laughin at the dummies who died in the jungles and beaches
so that you could read speaches like there’s no difference between us
but you never once woke up and had to crawl outta bed
to go kiss some fucker’s ass to keep your family fed
and the hindrances to heaven are hiding within everything you can live without
What a dickhead.
i hate bright eyes…
that conar kid is like 12 years old. i guess i’ll never understand the draw to these “child stars.” He’s just another in the tradition of Maculy and that kid from the “show me the money” tom cruise flick…
we’ll be rid of this doe-eyed croooner soon enough. let us count our blessings
I had a boner.
nice critique.
I was shocked when I saw this. I applaud Bright Eyes for the courage to play that song on a nationally broadcast show hosted by a Republican. It’s sad that on election day America thought they had no one on the ballot better than George Bush.
I HEARD you could download this on the internets. If you download this song, the terrorists win.
That’s why you should have watched my show, boneheads.
I am sooo getting this loaded on my IPod!
Smelling bullshit is nothing compared to masturbating stallions (I wish Laura hadn’t told everyone!)
what? no mention of me anywhere in the song? i am at least as much responsible for everything as george the puppet. i call bullshit!
Anyway, the song is lame, the lyrics are little poetical at all (someone compared it to Dylan, come on!)…
You’re losing the point: just because you dislike Bush (as I do), it doesn’t turn it into a good song. He got guts to showcase it at the show, agreed. But it’s a lame song anyway.
You know what I love most about freewilliamsburg is how completely unbiased it is. Who gives a fuck what song Conor Oberst played on Jay Leno? Who gives a fuck that he was on there to begin with? Being an adult male with a brain in my head, I can’t remember the last time I had the faintest (there’s a Nebraska/saddle-creek joke there) fucking interest in watching Leno or any other network television variety show with which the RIAA lets you know what is, and is not, cool to buy.
Fucking clowns, all of you.
So are you telling us what is, and is not, cool to watch?
I’m not a big bright eyes fan, but to stand up, and make critical remarks about how “religious” bush is, makes me laugh. it’s almost as entertaining as micheal moore.
I like smelly poo
blaqel should be digging the bright eyes catalogue, then.
More importantly, what is it that he says at the end of the song and what does it mean?
Phil Mish Mish?
Anyone? I’ve seen him play this song a few times before and never heard this ending…
People who seem to hate this song here are missing the point. If you’re a Republican, I can’t help you.
Remember before the Iraq war, Bush’s father told Dubya to think twice about invading Iraq and according to Bob Woodward, Bush claimed that his father told him not to invade Iraq, but Bush didn’t listen, claiming that he spoke to a higher father (God) who told him to do it. This is what bothers me because millions of Christians voted for the idiot thinking he was the second coming of Jesus and had God on his side. In the end, what God would speak to a President and recommend sending thousands of farm kids off to die and get rich kids out of it, allowing the schools in ghettos to get flooded with drugs, and having to use election fraud to get somebody in office when what is suppose to be the most powerful force in the world, couldn’t push you though?? haha.
I for one am not religios. I believe in God, I just don’t believe God concerns himself with this world. I can’t stand people who pray for the food they eat or baseball plays who pray that they pitch a good game, but then God lets stuff like Timothy McVhey or 9/11 slip through the cracks? haha. That is the point of the song and a very powerful one at that.
I commend Conor for getting up there and signing this song on National television. In a day and age when acts are so worried about being dressed right and saying the right thing, Conor is just himself. It had to be tough.
In all fairness, it wasn’t really singing.
Rocking dude. You are an american hero. And huge balls doing it on Leno. How did you get away with it?
Where can I send you money, girls and fame?
I have a song about fox news you can have.
call me
dj kung-fu
BEWARE THE ENERGY BILL! BEWARE NUCLEAR POWER!
http://www.nirs.org
i dont think Leno is a republican.
is wife is an adamant feminist and his best friend is Bil Mahrer (however you spell it)
i dont think Leno is a republican.
is wife is an adamant feminist and his best friend is Bil Mahrer (however you spell it)
More proof that the music really did die many years ago. Nothing left but angst-filled whiners who don’t know how to sing or write decent lyrics.
If you actually think that the music’s dead, you need to save yourself.
GW Bush . . . Sukz a dik. . . Thief, Liar. . All those who voted for him. . . Your NAZI’s. . . straight up, you support a regime that kills americans. . . Both domestically. . . and Internationally. . . . Just to let you know . . see a Bush sticker, break a window. . . Seriously. . . I do. . . Go back to bed America. . . Your freedoms are securley under our Control. . . And to those in the know Karl Rove. . . You deserve a bullet. . . Along with Bechtel, Halliburton, most of Texas and Florida . . . wait . . . All of Texas and Florida. . . Open up your eyes these times are a changing. . . America was founded on Revolution . . . plus the right to bear arms those rednecks so fiercely protect. . . was originally to keep a sense of fear in the government, knowing they couldn’t screw the citizens cause they were armed. . . You’ve allowed it to be twisted into the fear that you have to be ready to kill your neighbor if he comes for your stuff. . . They turned our own guns on ourselves. . . Now we need to turn our minds, voices, and hearts on . . . (insert here). . . So all of you spewing your take it back, propaganda, supposedly trying to save our souls. . . Your selling our flesh and the flesh of your children. . . You support terror, not terrorism . . . your fukking us all on a bigger level. . . Bin Laden didn’t blow up the projects – GW – It was you. . . So in the end, remember the greatest reason for being an American, the real reason our hero’s die, not this Illegal, genocidal, spanish inquisition of a crusade that the current regime and its backers, (the rich, masons, Bohemian Grove, etc.) have us fighting. . . . That is so that each and every one of us is truly free. . . . Just because your told to do something, doesn’t mean a thing. . . our fathers, forefathers, mothers, ancestors, kindred, are telling us we are free, we think for ourselves and those we care about. . . That is the thing that this world they produce makes us forget. . . Dulls us from. . . Keeps us occupied from doing . . . . Scares us away from . . . Overburdens . . . . Demeans. . . . ridicules. . . . rapes. . . . corrupts. . .
You are a person, you have the choice to do as you please, the responsibility to care for others, the ability to change the predetermined. So stop being distracted from the world you live in now, care for those who cared for you, share yourself with another person and take responsibility for everything that’s going on around you. . .
If you think his singing, lyrics, or music sucks, then why aren’t you up there playing something better? And Conor isn’t some “12 yr old child star,” he’s actually in his 20′s and he’s been doing this for over ten years now. I also enjoyed all the diploma-endeavoring poets here bashing his writing. You do know what the larger picture is to the song, right? I’m pretty confident in saying we all can see it, so how about we take what we can from it and lessen our ignorance. yea? good.
he played this at his show in chicago, and ive never heard a more accepting crowd. at least he has a legitimate opinion, and it sure seemed like he had a whole lot less than 52% disapproval
Benn sucks and I rule.
At last, Praise God, someone with the wisdom and courage to speak the truth! We must all do all we can to protect Bright Eyes’ freedom to speak.
We need more heroes to stand up to the tyranny and facism.
John B, Denver
i dont like bright eyes. the song is funny tho. leno is a republican, and an unfunny douche.
Conor, just do your own thing, man.
It’s all ok in every way!!
This song is going to change the world. Maybe people will be motivated to go to the polls and vote Bush out of office. Oh wait, the election is over….doh!
When the President talks to God.
He says let me do right so we can live in a country where the least among us can write
songs for the least among us.
When the President talks to God.
When the President talks to God.
He says please give me the self control to not wipe from the face of the earth anyone so self serving that they would twist despair to sell cds.
When the President talks to God.
When the President talks to God.
He says let that Dylan wanna-be keep singing This is America
When the President talks to God.
like his music or not, conor oberst is talented in following his passion, and achieving his dreams and most likely he doesnt sit around on his computer, criticizing other people’s work.
I can take or leave his music. His politics are what I find offensive. His voice got heard on the Tonight Show and any other time he takes a stage, mine got heard here. The first amendment isn’t just for limousine-liberal-laughing-all-the-way-to-the-bank smack. I’ve got news for you, most people who say things as dumb as he does don’t even believe it them self. They just laugh as they cash the royalty check. Is it really his position that our President and God ìJust give ‘em more liquor stores and dirty cokeî? This is so ignorant I would need graphs and charts to explain it. He apposes our President and near as I can tell, God. I appose hypocritical privilege and peddlers of ridiculous rhetoric. He had his say. I had mine.
Oh, my darling Domonic, use a spell checker. The word is spelled OPPOSED, with an “o.” Before you call others ignorant, at least make sure you aren’t the one looking like a total fool by misspelling the same word twice in one paragraph.
Thank you for correcting my spelling. I donít think a typo, due to phonetic error necessarily makes me look foolish as much as it makes me look careless when typing. I assure you my point of view has been given far more thought than my spelling will ever get. I do acknowledge a personís spelling and grammar are important, but I think they have little to do with social conscience or the matter I mentioned. Would you care to challenge my position on this matter or a quick ìring and runî all you had in mind?
Iím the son of a school teacher by the way. I was taught content mattered more than where you put the comma.
I love Bright Eyes and Conor Oberst vvery much and i also appluad them for doing that in front of americans who are fucking asses for electing Geroge Bush just take a minute and look up what george is like do it …
i respect u
Domonic is a bright shining example of the failure that is the No Child Left Behind program. Disgraceful, no?
Well, I hate to have to be a gentleman and concede a point, but I will. As the son of a school teacher, the friend of many and the ex-husband of one of the finest teachers in the world, ìNo child left behindî is an abysmal failure. I would like to point out that President Clinton was in office when I graduated high school and I love that you assume Iím a Republican. IíM NOT! I loath the actions of most politicians with few exceptions (Read ìOn Bullî). I just have the character to show respect to my President and God. President Bush is our President. President Clinton humiliated this country. But you know what, he was still our President. If you donít agree with your Presidentís actions, say so. But at least tell the truth. Not this Mike Moore Hollywood leftist smack. This is why the word ìliberalî is a bad word. Civil disobedience is not a right in this country it is a requirement. There is nothing civil about this song. It is lies, lies and more lies to sell cdís to stupid people who think this Lower East Side punk is the next Dylan. Dylanís music meant something in a very serious time. We are in another serious time, and this is who we get?
You have yet to challenge my position? You have swung low and made your little jokes. You donít have an opinion, you just want to be cool and say you like the ìitî guy. If your boy is changing the world so muchÖ tell me how. Can you people even argue an issue? Do you know how? You canít defend this song. Stick to your bumper sticker slogans. You are in over your head. Unless I spelled something wrongÖ Then you may have something to say.
Can that rediculous ‘dominic despute’ stop now please! What’s about ‘Global strike’ and ‘Rods from God’? I think you all just don’t understand,
what Conor is trying to say. I know, the election is over! But don’t we all need some influence to open our eyes? I’m frightened to death actually!!
Oh, I spelled ‘Domonic’ wrong. Excuse me, please.
I’m german, but I’m doing the best that I can.
Last but not least,
I’ve got kids (daughter 14, son 11).
And I want them to have a LIFE.
Sabine, I agree, the world is a dangerous place and things that are going on, are not right. But I donít think anyone is misunderstanding Conor. He has made his point very clear, and so is his agenda. He hates Bush, period. He is a good singer and a good writer. He just took liberties with the truth in this case. No artistic interpretation about it. Bush did not put booze and coke in the poor neighborhoods, come on.
This song is just empty crap. Letís move on.
filmishmish – Tomorrow, when the apricots bloom? How sweet!
filmishmish – ‘Wishful thinking?’ Yes, why not!! That means a lot!
That also reminds me of a band in the 70ties and they had a song called ‘Hiroshima’.
We all know what happened to Hiroshima. Don’t we?!
GRRR, of course Bush didn’t put coke in the poor neighbourhoods. But maybe you can use the ‘dirty coke’ as a symbol for all the dirty stuff that’s left for these people. And what can they expect from their life? Not much, I guess. So they drown their future in the alcohol. And yes, of course we’re moving on with our (bright) eyes wide shut!
the song sucks, it is a boring attempt to create political stir for the left wing and all that oppose bush and his policies. I for one oppose about everything the man has done since he has been in office. Including the war, signing a bill to reduce taxes for oil companies, singing a bill to eliminate debt by filing bankruptcy, signing a bill to drill in the alaskan refuge, faith based initiatives, and a whole lot of other stuff that clearly sides with christians and corporations. The song however touches on nothing important other than the war and basically is so poorly worded that it makes the people who dislike bush look like idiots for having this guy on our “side”. Add that whiny voice to the terrible lyrics and it is just flat out ewwwwwwwwwww. you suck dim eyes, let someone else handle the political music as you are clearly not up to the task!
Demonic; I agree, content is important as grammar.
There is much madness in the world….the Whell turns for ALL OF US
Correction: The WHEEL turns for all….. not the Whell.
DESIDERATA………………..one antidote
………….and, it DOE’S get worse, just keep standing around around trying to decide which SUV and condom to buy and caring only about 3 hour erections………..”keep you doped w/ sex, religion, and TV” JL
We will ALL be up against the wall.
….’atta-way, don’t ask questions, keep right on following, boys AND girls, right into the Valley of Death, not to REASON why, just do and die, and die, and die…………….the Dark Man awaits………………right this way, the Blue Bus idles, so, is von Rove really Gobbels?
…………not a TRULY rightous man or woman among you.
She has risen
Eve volunteered
Womb-envy
You boys keep right on laughing and sneering, ‘cruter be round your place shortly, he got your names and addresses from your school..
look the point is that this country is a great country, if your rich. and before all you snobby bush loving hipocrites have a chance to disagree consider this. i know its hard for the narrow minded, but imagine if you where a single parent who busted your ass 8 days a week and still could only pay the bills but your job didnt provide insurance and the govmnt states”you make too much money” for them to provide it for your child. they might as well say ‘fuck u and your kid” what excactly do we pay medicare for anyway? seriously, do we have to be a 300lb. lazy nigger with 10 kids to get a break around here? seems to me people are more interested in the almighty dollar than they are there fellow human being, has MR. PREZ ever mentioned that to GOD? So as an american who doesnt give a damn if the president talks to god or not i gotta say this country is an emberrassment and i am ashamed to be part of it. so fuck u and your president america. GOD BLESS!
bright eyes 4 president (u got my vote)
I caught part of his act (Conor) in Orlando recently. He wasn’t the headliner, or obviously I would not have been there. He was so drunk, he could barely keep his feet. His legions of lemmings cheered and roared. His appearance ended with him jumping up and down on the bottle or glass he carried on stage with him. Maintenance folks had to come out and lay down a blanket so others could come on stage to perform. A guy like this, why would I give a crap what he thinks politically? His insight comes from where again? Why doesn’t he just sing about something he knows about like heroin or “X”. Before anyone tells me “I don’t understand his art”, would all please just go to sleep. This guy is a no-talent hack.
no one is probably reading this anymore…but you all sound pretty lame…if you do or don’t like connor…if you do or don’t like bush…you sound lame…each one of you thinks you are right…but none of you know…
I dont give a shit what any of you say I’ve heard his music, all of it I could find and it’s some good sh*t and if you dont agree well than it’s not for you leave. If you have the disrespect to criticize this artist than my advise is go f*** yourselves and try to write better. Good luck a fan,
-Summer
Greetings, I do enjoy the music, and think Bright Eyes is a fine artist, and that they should make many more songs. That having been said, KingBobs!!! Blahhh Neir Ding!!!
I give props to the music, the artist,
and the hobo king bob ahead of me
_~*~*~ReMMuS~*~*~_
Nice, I love Brighteyes, and Of course ReMMuS, I would bang you!!! Er, and yeah….Go Bright Eyes…
First off, Dominic, please give up, you’ve failed at life quite enough.
Second, Conor Oberst started recording when he was 12, he isn’t 12 now. he helped to found saddle-creek when he was 14. Now he’s Bright Eyes. He’s also Desaparecidos, David Dondero, and formerly, Commander Venus.
Why do people keep saying hes a crazy leftist like Michael Moore? And why do you say he’s bashing God? He’s not.
And what is this about him being a rich hollywood type? He’s on the same label he was on when he was 14, when noone knew anything about him, Omaha, or Saddle-Creek. He’s resisted selling out for years. He’s a better man than most of you would be.
Incredible. We need more musicians who aren’t afraid of the sick and arrogant republicans. Careful, though, I heard they call people like us terrorists…
I agree with Jim.
Bright Eyes for prez.
Contrary to most of the comments on here, Bright eyes and Conor Oberst are absolutley amazing. This song in particualr may not show how unbelievably talented he is lyrically. Conor Oberst is the new Bob Dylan of this generations. I suggest you all read some of his other lyrics. They never fail to blow me away. And for the person who said he “wasn’t really singing”… that is ridiculous. His voice in all of his songs send shivers down my spine…
I think Conor Oberst is nothing short of genius
amen to that.
you should all take a look at Birght Eyes/Conor, hie basiclly a prodigy.
BUSH SUCKS. 35% APPROVAL RATING. LIBBY AND ROVE ARE TRAITORS. BUSH LIED. HE SAID HE’D FIRE ANYONE INVOLVED IN CIA LEAK. BUSH IS A LIAR LIAR LIAR!!
I myself, am a huge Bright Eyes fan. I am also very much against George Bush, and all that he stands for. It’s absolutely ridiculous to claim that this song is “empty”, or that Conor Oberst lacks music talent. While i respect that you’re all entitled to your own opinions, I also make the point that Conor is too. And so am I, so here’s my say on the matter: Bright Eyes is amazingly talented, and his heartfelt lyrics are amazingly poetic and easy to relate to. His music is origional, and the fact that he has the balls to reject the usual American patriotism adds to my respect for him. I think that all the people who have critisised his political views, fine do so, but don’t put shit on the way he’s stood up and voiced them, because it’s not as if any of you have done the same. and finally when “caleb” said “that conar kid is like 12 years old”, he/she could not have made themself look more ridiculous. Not only is conor misspelt, but he is of course twice that age, and far more intelligent than Caleb, because at least he actually has the talent to write the lyrics in the first place.
Bright Eyes is shit, it’s not my opinion, it’s a fact, Only some people do not realise it. He has absolutely no reason to be depressed, he is in his early twenties and he is rich and famous.
I can understand why people dont like him, but it really shows how much of a life you have to go on a page about him, just to say how much you hate him. If you dont like him, I have an easy suggestion. Dont listen. I hate Brittany Spears, but that doesn’t mean i go on a page about her to rip on her. It’s lame.
PS: If you dont like it, try Deseparacidos. That’s his other band.
I just stumbled across this, so bear with me. I, personally, am a big fan of Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott. Many people think that Bright Eyes is the child of only Oberst, when Mogis and Walcott design most of the music behind Conor’s lyrics.
Sorry, just had to get that off of my chest.
By the way, spasmotic is correct in saying that Desaparecidos is great. You should check them out.