I don’t post a whole lot about music here, but I’m in a reflective scan-the-whole year mood and was recently thinking about doubt-related music. Only weird people go into a year wondering What will be the best doubt song of 2010? I certainly didn’t.
But when I hear one, it captures my attention, like Nickel Creek’s “Doubting Thomas” — which works the phrase “O me of little faith” into the chorus — or pretty much everything on David Bazan’s 2009 album Curse Your Branches.
That’s probably why I keep being drawn to “Dear God 2.0” by The Roots. It’s a remake of the original “Dear God,” by Monsters of Folk, and this new version is a collaboration between the two groups for The Roots’ 2010 album How I Got Over. The first version was a good song. The hip-hop element added to the remake makes it even better.
You can watch it below. Don’t worry: it’s safe for work.
Notable lyrics:
If I could hold the world in the palm of these
Hands, I would probably do away with these anomalies
…
But if you’re lost and around
Why do we suffer?
Why do we suffer?
…
Why is the world ugly when you made it in your image?
And why is livin’ life such a fight to the finish?
…
Dear God, I’m trying hard to reach you
Dear God, I see your face in all I do
Sometimes, it’s so hard to believe it.
There’s nothing particularly ground-breaking here — philosophically, it’s pretty standard Where is God amid suffering? stuff — but it’s refreshing to hear a thoughtful group like The Roots tackle these issues.
I also appreciate Black Thought’s ability to rhyme “prophecies” with “broccoli.” It’s imperfect…but awesome.
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I’m sure there’s a lot of good doubty music out there. Do you have a favorite?