Wednesday 29 August 2012

Could there be an anthem for atheism?

Occasionally I hear a piece of music that I think would be a good theme tune for the atheist movement, or for aspects of it; if atheism needed one and if I thought for a moment that atheists would ever reach a consensus on such a notion, that is.

So in a totally lighthearted and probably quite tongue-in-cheek way, I'd like to submit a few suggestions and ask anyone who reads this for their suggestions. If nothing else, I'll probably hear some new music I didn't know about. Rather embarrassingly, I can't work out whether you'll be able to post functional links in the comments, but if it turns out you can't I'll repost them as amendments to this post.

My submissions:

For when we're feeling rebellious, Rage Against the Machine's "Killing In The Name" (especially the section from about 4:15 on - I couldn't make it to the One Law For All rally for Free Expression in February this year - when that whole mess with the Jesus and Mo cartoons was at its peak - but if I had I'd've wanted to play this REALLY loudly!):

For when we're getting our geek on, Monty Python's "Universe Song":
For our hippie moments, John Lennon's "Imagine":
For when we want to be REEEAALLY snarky at christians, Guns n Roses' "Sympathy for the Devil" (and anyone who tries to tell me the Rolling Stones' version was better will be shot):
For when we're happy and careless (and because I do love Eric Idle), Monty Python's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life":
And to illustrate JUST how far things can be open to interpretation, and because I think it's one of the most beautiful (and, now I know more about it, most bittersweet) songs ever recorded, "None of Us are Free" by Solomon Burke. I honestly thought could have been about the atheist movement the first time I heard it:
And for when we just want to lie on the grass at night, stare at the stars and feel our spines tingle at how truly awesome the universe is, "Conquest of Paradise" by Vangelis (apologies for the tacky video on this one; just ignore it, look at the stars and space out with me!):

So those are mine - a few of them, anyway.  Anyone have any others they want to share?  Please let me know!

Luce. xx

14 comments:

  1. Saved by Shelley Segal:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-h_jNiSczw

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  2. Hiya Bryan Steeksma's "listen to reason" love the lyrics on that one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQjrlsSGJrs

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  3. "If I had a gun" by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds for the line
    "My eyes have always followed you around the room
    Cause you're the only god that I will ever need
    I'm holding on and waiting for the moment to find me.
    Hope I didn speak too soon"

    Beautiful track too...

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  4. I love love love "None of us are free". Thank you for introducing me to it.

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    Replies
    1. That one and Redemption Song make me want to cry every single time I hear them. It's so... sort of magnificent, terrible and tragic that religion can inspire such beauty.

      Are there any suggestions you'd make, though? I'd love to hear them. xx

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    2. I'll need to give that some thought. Certainly, there's this:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOWx5G76pkU

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    3. The above is Supertheory of Supereverything by Gogol Bordello.

      There's also Leper Messiah by Metallica.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm71Khu5-Lk

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  5. XTC's "Dear God" and "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead"

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  6. It has no lyrics so it probably won't be usable as an anthem, but I've always liked the music from the Cosmos TV series (I think most of it is by Vangelis)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJKkDZ957tc&feature=related

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  7. As soon as I read this I thought of this oldie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVuEC3r7a-o and it wouldn't paste grr! :) I'm also having OpenID issues pfth. - Jon.

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  8. 'Faithless' and 'Freewill' both by Rush.

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  9. All good songs, of course, but surely R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion' has to be the one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-UzXIQ5vw Great vid too. And while we're on the subject of R.E.M. how about 'Everybody Hurst'? Despite appearing a little gloomy, is really a justification of life for life's sake - a very humanist sentiment I think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pudOFG5X6uA

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  10. "Don't Let It Pass You By" - UB40, a great atheist anthem:

    "There ain't no heaven
    and there ain't no hell
    Except the one we're in, and we know too well
    There's no one waiting on..
    Waiting on a higher high
    Don't let the only world you're ever gonna live in pass you by"

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  11. My vorte is for Motörhead's "God Was Never On Your Side"

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qNrgQbOE60



    "Let the voice of reason shine
    Let the pious vanish for all time"

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