Atheist Songs

When a person asks about atheist music, most people draw pretty much a blank. Sure, there are absolute TONS of material for Christians in America, and all other religious/cultural groups I'm aware of have their music. But what about music expressly written by and for atheists? I used to think that such material was pretty rare and nearly impossible to find. It is out there, as I have found, though it's less hard to find than I originally thought. Here's a list of some pop music artists I've found so far, along with a sample of their songs and lyrics. I'll update this page as I find more material.

John Lennon

Songs:

Imagine -

Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us, only sky

Instant Karma
God

XTC

Songs:

Dear God -	Dear God, hope you got the letter and I pray you can make it better down here I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer But all the people you made in you image I see them starving on their feet Cause they don't get enought to eat from God Can't believe in you
The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead -	Peter Pumpkinhead came to town Spreading wisdom and cash around Fed the starving and housed the poor Showed the Vatican what gold's for But he made too many enemies Of the people who would keep us on our knees Hooray for Peter Pumpkin... Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?

Seasons Cycle
Sacrificial Bonfires
Books Are Burning
Your Dictionary
All of a Sudden (It's Too Late)
Me and the Wind
Merely a Man
Greenman
We're All Light
The Wheel and the Maypole

Pearl Jam

Songs:

Do the Evolution -

I'm ahead, I'm advanced I'm the first mammal to wear pants I'm at peace with my lust I can kill cause in God I trust It's evolution, baby!

Push Me, Pull Me
Last Kiss
Given to Fly
Faithful

The Dead Kennedys

(note: While the lyrics of the group's songwriter, Jello Biafra, are quite good, many of the songs are performed far too fast for the words to be heard properly. The artwork included with the CD's is also very striking, but more political than religious, mostly)

Songs:

Religious Vomit
Moral Majority

Bad Religion

(note: these guys are almost exclusively into anti-religion songs. They also have a great web site - click on their name - and they actually use some of their money to support scientific research! Is that COOL or what?)

Songs:

Hear It

No Substance -	Once you convince yourself the universe fall into place You've got your ideas and you posse of friends You all make the rules and the fun never ends. But still there's a problem leaves you gasping for air You look for some meaning - blank smiles are all that's there. And still water stales a soft summer breeze You cling to you hopes while you drop to your knees. There's no substance!
In So Many Ways -	No one really knows why we die No one gets a break, so we try Ignoring mortality, we worship mediocrity And wait to see what happens up on high...

Suffer
1000 More Fools
At the Mercy of Imbeciles
Shades of Truth
The Voracious March of Godliness
Faith Alone
We're Only Gonna Die
Flat Earth Society

The Beatles

Songs:

Elanore Rigby -	Elanore Rigby died in the church And was buried along with her name Nobody came Father McKinzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave No one was saved All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong?
Lady Madonna -	Lady Madonna, children at your feet Wonder how you manage to make ends meet? Who finds the money when you pay the rent Did you think that money was heaven-sent?

Think For Yourself (probably actually an anti-drug song, but I think it works well from a religion standpoint as well...)

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Songs:

Holy Smoke -

You say Satan's waitin' for me, but I don't give a f**k If words and music tick you off, Then you're the one that's sick; I think it's f**king followers That really makes you click...

Devil's Night Out

Billy Joel

Songs:

Only the Good Die Young -

Well they showed you a statue And showed you to pray They built you a temple and locked you away But they never told you the price that you pay For things that you might have done Only the good die young!

Pressure
Goodnight, Saigon
River of Dreams

Weird Al Yankovic

Songs:

Amish Paradise -

You think you're really righteous? Think you're pure in heart? Well I know I'm a million times As humble as thou art I'm the pious guy the little Amlettes wanna be like On my knees day and night Scorin' points for the afterlife...

Everything You Know is Wrong
Your Horoscope For Today
Pretty Fly for a Rabbi

Rush

Songs:

Tom Sawyer -

Roll the Bones -

There are other artists who put out one or two songs that knock religion, but I won't bother to list them. I understand that Marylin Manson is quite the Satanist, and has much in his work that is anti-religion. However, I have not taken the time to examine his material, so I can't say what I think of it. The visual image he portrays for himself - sort of an Alice Cooper on a bad acid trip - is most unfortunate in my opinion, but that hardly signifies these days, I suppose.

Anyway, that's a list of my suggestions for people looking for atheist music. It's not complete, but I've used most of the songs listed here to fill a 90-minute tape to listen to in my car while I commute, and that's what it's all about for me.