When the President Talks to God...

"When the President Talks to God"
by Bright Eyes

I have spent much time contemplating this concept. I saw this the night it aired (May 2, 2005) and was instantly moved. Wow!!! Apparently a lot of other people were too, as it won Song of the Year at the 2006 PLUG Independent Music Awards.

My hope is that this moves you, as it did me, to contemplation and action.
Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) performing on the Tonight Show:

"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

In this version, Conor is heard to say, "fil mish mish" at the end.
I have read that it is an Arabic saying that translates as, "When apricot season comes...", meaning something along the lines of, "Don't hold your breath.". I don't know the validity of that, but I do know that Mish Mish is a city in Lebanon...close to the Syrian border.