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?
 

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