Here are 75 songs relevant to atheism, gods or religions that should make you think or laugh or both, from A Camp, Abba, Tori Amos, Atheist Cartoons, Austin Lounge Lizards, Heywood Banks, Dan Barker, Amanda Bloom, Boomtown Rats, Gogol Bordello, Cynthia Carle, Chumbawumba, Andy Corwin, Depeche Mode, Ani DiFranco, Dixie Chicks, Eve’s Plum, First Aid Kit, Garfunkel and Oates, Holly Golightly, Greydon Square, Half Man Half Biscuit, Markella Hatziano, Susan Hofer, George Hrab, Jerry Springer the Opera, Tom Lehrer, John Lennon, Jenny Lewis, Casey McKinnon, Steve Martin, Tim Minchin, Monty Python, Alanis Morissette, Holly Near, Needy Heathens, Randy Newman, Rabbie1121, Sandy Riccardi, Shelley Segal, Patti Smith, Chris Smither, Jill Sobule, The Sundays, Vienna Teng, Tom Waits, Cheryl Wheeler, XTC, Frank Zappa and Roy Zimmerman; plus a bonus song from Sonseed.
I’m sure I have left out many more. Suggestions welcome…
Agnostic Gospel Song – Andy Corwin
Apocalyptic Love Song – Shelley Segal
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life – Monty Python
Atheist Country Music – Atheist Cartoons
Atheist Christmas Carol – Vienna Teng
Atheists Don’t Have No Songs – Steve Martin
Banana Republic – Boomtown Rats
Big Butter Jesus – Heywood Banks
Blasphemous Rumours – Depeche Mode
Born Secular – Jenny Lewis
Charlie (Darwin) – Chumbawumba
Chocolate Jesus – Tom Waits
Christmas Carol – Tom Lehrer
Christmas in Heaven – Monty Python
Creation Science 101 – Roy Zimmerman
Darwin Ate Your Jesus Fish – Needy Heathens
Dear God – XTC
Decomposing Composers – Monty Python
Defenders of Marriage – Roy Zimmerman
The Dream (Atheist Rap) – Greydon Square
Eve – Shelley Segal
Every Sperm is Sacred – Monty Python
Forgiven – Alanis Morissette
Fuck Me in the Ass Because I Love Jesus – Garfunkel and Oates
Galaxy Song – Monty Python
Get Down on Your Knees Dear Father – Rabbie1121
Gloria – Patti Smith
God – Tori Amos
God – John Lennon
God is Not Great – George Hrab
God Gave Us Life – Half Man Half Biscuit
God Made Me – The Sundays
God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind) – Randy Newman
The Good Book – Tim Minchin
Gratitude – Shelley Segal
Hard Believer – First Aid Kit
I Ain’t Afraid – Holly Near
I Don’t Believe in Christmas – George Hrab
I Love Jesus – Tim Minchin
Imagine – John Lennon
It Ain’t Easy Being Me – Jerry Springer The Opera
It’s Only Natural – Susan Hofer and Dan Barker
Jesus Thinks You’re A Jerk – Frank Zappa
Jesus Loves Me (But He Can’t Stand You) – Austin Lounge Lizards
Jesus Loves You (Not as much as I do) – Eve’s Plum
Jesus Versus Satan – Jerry Springer the Opera
Let’s Go After the Buddhists – Roy Zimmerman
Letting Go of God – Jill Sobule
Lubbock or Leave It – Dixie Chicks
Magdalene – Amanda Bloom
The Magic of Reality – Markella Hatziano
The Meaning of Life – Monty Python
My Morality – Shelley Segal
Nothing Fails Like Prayer – Dan Barker
One True God – Austin Lounge Lizards
Origin of Species – Chris Smither
Peace Anthem for Palestine – Tim Minchin
The Pope Song – Tim Minchin
Santa is an Atheist – Casey McKinnon
Saved – Shelley Segal
Storm – Tim Minchin
Stronger than Jesus – A Camp
Sunday in Reality – Cynthia Carle
Supertheory of Everything – Gogol Bordello
Ted Haggard is Completely Heterosexual – Roy Zimmerman
Ten Foot Cock and a Few Hundred Virgins – Tim Minchin
Thank You For The Music (Swedish Version) – Abba
The Vatican Rag – Tom Lehrer
There Is An End – Holly Golightly and the Greenhornes
We Don’t Go to God’s House Anymore – Chumbawamba
The Wedding of Church & State – Roy Zimmerman & Sandy Riccardi
What if No One’s Watching – Ani DiFranco
White Wine in the Sun – Tim Minchin
Woody Allen Jesus – Tim Minchin
Your God – Cheryl Wheeler
Plus Bonus Song:
Jesus Is A Friend of Mine – Sonseed
Jesus Is a Friend of Mine (Censored)
Jesus Is A Friend Of Mine (Rave Remix)
Jesus Is a Friend of Mine (Live)
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeUbqbcNjGA
List needs some Bad Religion – numerous songs to choose from. And lead singer Greg Graffin is an evolutionary biologist and wellknown naturalist/skeptic/atheist
Very nice list.
It made me go and upload a similarly themed (atheistic) song from some of our very own.
Irish (Dublin) hip-hop duo, Dusty Residents’ song ‘The Gospel Pt. I’ is definitely worth a listen.
There’s a ‘Pt. II’ also that I could upload if anybody is interested.
http://youtu.be/z-PmdPN16pI
Here are two more for the list.
“Legion” by Theatre of Hate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdCIw1tllWA
“Salt Lake City Sunday” by Fad Gadget:
http://youtu.be/Pvc8KXbNCBg?t=7m8s
(Sorry about this link; the only other version available on YouTube is of utterly abysmal quality, and sounds like it might have some tape bleed-through.)
The Cure is led by a pretty vocal atheist. I would throw in at least “Where the Birds Always Sing” and “Your God Is Fear.”
Thanks for this entertaining list!
I’d add “Goddamned”, by my favourite artist Jay Brannan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg0XxgP82f4
Somehow he never makes the lists, but he’s more than earned his place with this one. If you like it, please buy it.
I also recommend Etta James’ cover of Randy Newman’s “God’s Song”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKfxqWgGRBQ
You might like to add “Losing My Religion” from REM, really meanignful to my generation
Thanks for the list! My addition: Tombstone Da Deadman has a great album called Rise of the Infidel.
Dusty Residents – The Gospel Pt. II…
http://youtu.be/6yuSG5vC3vE
Great post Michael. Would be nice to make a playlist of these.
I have often thought that Games People Play by Joe South ( my fave version is Petula Clark) … had at least a hint of religious skepticism about it.
“…People walking up to you
Singing glory hallelulia
And they’re tryin to sock it to you
In the name of the Lord
They’re gonna teach you how to meditate
Read your horoscope, cheat your faith
And further more to hell with hate
Come on and get on board”