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Roger Waters — What God Wants (part 1)
Album: Amused To Death
Avg rating:
5.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 441









Released: 1992
Length: 5:56
Plays (last 30 days): 0
What God wants God gets God help us all
What God wants God gets
The kid in the corner looked at the priest
And fingered his pale blue Japanese guitar
The priest said
God wants goodness
God wants light
God wants mayhem
God wants a clean fight
What God wants God gets
Don't look so surprised
It's only dogma
The alien prophet cried
The beetle and the springbok
Took the Bible from its hook
The monkey in the corner
Wrote the lesson in his book
What God wants God gets God help us all
God wants peace
God wants war
God wants famine
God wants chain stores
What God wants God gets
God wants sedition
God wants sex
God wants freedom
God wants semtex
What God wants God gets
Don't look so surprised
I'm only joking
The alien comic cried
The jackass and hyena
Took the feather from its hook
The monkey in the corner
Wrote the joke down in his book
What God wants God gets
God wants boarders
God wants crack
God wants rainfall
God wants wetbacks
What God wants God gets
God wants voodoo
God wants shrines
God wants law
God wants organised crime
God wants crusade
God wants jihad
God wants good
God wants bad
What God wants God gets
Comments (133)add comment
Proof positive that, like the Beatles and other bands, Waters and Gilmour were much more than a sum of their parts. Too bad. I appreciate the cerebral or bleak concept of this track but it's got way too little of the power of harmonics or melody that would make it an attractive listen. 
 wpost wrote:
Stuff like this — I can't even call it a song — demonstrate what an enormous favor Roger Waters did for Pink Floyd and its fans by leaving.

 
Yeah. He should have left before 1973, so nobody would have listened to Money, Have a Cigar, Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Hey You, Another Brick on the Wall. Come on. 
Really dreary "music," as is often the case with Waters. Once again he proves that without Rick and Dave, we never would have heard of Pink Floyd on this side of the pond.

And since my HT receiver doesn't have a PSD button, this track forced me to switch to a favored classical station. 
What? TDB is the most boring nonsense ever to come out of anything Floyd-related. And that includes Nick Mason's offerings on Ummugumma.

Relayer wrote: 
His most tolerable solo album, which makes you appreciate post-Waters PF and David Gilmour solo albums so much more. It is a pretty good album in parts, but overall just another hour of Roger bitching along with music.

Roger is re-releasing this album with a new mix/artwork in 2015. Which is fine. But upon revealing the new version, he stated that this album is better than any PF recording other than DSotM and The Wall.   Oh Roger, you silly old coot.  This is a decent album, but is nothing compared to PF, it doesn't even hold up against Momentary Lapse or Division Bell.

 


What a miserable sod Roger Waters is!  He's almost as bad as Bob Geldof.


His most tolerable solo album, which makes you appreciate post-Waters PF and David Gilmour solo albums so much more. It is a pretty good album in parts, but overall just another hour of Roger bitching along with music.

Roger is re-releasing this album with a new mix/artwork in 2015. Which is fine. But upon revealing the new version, he stated that this album is better than any PF recording other than DSotM and The Wall.   Oh Roger, you silly old coot.  This is a decent album, but is nothing compared to PF, it doesn't even hold up against Momentary Lapse or Division Bell.
I love Roger Waters' music in general, but this song has always been difficult for me to listen to. The beat and drum sound/volume irritates. And there is very little music. Almost like listening to hip-hop. 
Okay, okay. Enough. I give. It is almost blues but not quite. Almost rock but more annoying. Not Pink Floyd, we get that Roger. 

Please Bill, God wants us to not play this song again. 


This song is jus' turrible, turrible, turrible. 
Don't care for this at all 
 springof63 wrote:
Seems to be not too much love here for this.

I think 'Amused To Death' is a really good album, as indeed are 'The Pros & Cons' and 'Radio KAOS'.
If you haven't given one of these albums the listening time that (i guess probably) got spent on those ol' Pink Floyd albums, then may i be so bold as to suggest that you're only hearing half of it.
There's some really good stuff on these Roger Waters 'solo' albums, but if you expect to love it all instantly, at first listen, then i think you maybe expecting a little too much. IMHO (as is everything i say).
Cheers

 
I've got both of those albums and didn't care much for them.  Maybe its time to give them another listen.

{#Cheers} 
Seems to be not too much love here for this.

I think 'Amused To Death' is a really good album, as indeed are 'The Pros & Cons' and 'Radio KAOS'.
If you haven't given one of these albums the listening time that (i guess probably) got spent on those ol' Pink Floyd albums, then may i be so bold as to suggest that you're only hearing half of it.
There's some really good stuff on these Roger Waters 'solo' albums, but if you expect to love it all instantly, at first listen, then i think you maybe expecting a little too much. IMHO (as is everything i say).
Cheers
Stuff like this — I can't even call it a song — demonstrate what an enormous favor Roger Waters did for Pink Floyd and its fans by leaving.
 Bosami wrote:


Leaden, ponderous and monotonous - I agree with. Cock-rock though? Not by my definition.
Either way - I'll offset your 1 by adding a zero to mine. The song is clearly not a 10 - but it's far from a 1. Someone has to maintain balance. {#Crown}   
  

 
I just switched my 4 to a 1 to counter your 10. 
 PeterMC3 wrote:
This is what happens to rock gods as they grow old and fail to realise they're inability to fade away is tainting their earlier body of great music.

 
agreed. 
 ofanansky wrote:
as much as I love Pink Floyd, Roger Waters' solo stuff comes off as pretentious

 

When has he not? He is incapable of coming off any other way.  This song is not that bad though, you would think he murdered someone's mother by looking at the comments.{#Lol}
Wost.  Song.  Ever.
If I could give this a negative ten, I would.
This is what happens to rock gods as they grow old and fail to realise they're inability to fade away is tainting their earlier body of great music.
 ncollingridge wrote:
Leaden, ponderous, monotonous stadium cock-rock. No melody to speak off, simplistic lyrics, this is typical of the type of stuff Pink Floyd and it's offshoots produced after DSOTM and WYWH. 

A score of 1 is being generous.  
 

Leaden, ponderous and monotonous - I agree with. Cock-rock though? Not by my definition.


Either way - I'll offset your 1 by adding a zero to mine. The song is clearly not a 10 - but it's far from a 1. Someone has to maintain balance. {#Crown}   


  
Leaden, ponderous, monotonous stadium cock-rock. No melody to speak off, simplistic lyrics, this is typical of the type of stuff Pink Floyd and it's offshoots produced after DSOTM and WYWH. 

A score of 1 is being generous.  
Totally Godlike.
Unusual to hear Jeff Beck playing so straight and raw without his signature quirkyness - fabulous !
 
Anything related to Floyd to the index
one of the best records ever!
after listen to the whole 74min i always felt like watching a movie!
brilliant!
Godlike (wants)! A straight 10, it is.
Yesterday First of Firth, today What God Wants... 

Can't you see
It all makes perfect sense
Expressed in dollars and cents
Pounds, shillings, and pence! 
Amused To Death is such a GREAT album.




 bubink wrote:
Saw Mr. Waters TWICE recently....  In Edmonton AB (Dark Side) AND Omaha NE (Wall) and gotta say LOVED both shows....RW is the HEART and SOUL of PF.....  Rock on brother Waters, Rock on.......

 
Amen
 Grammarcop wrote:
God has a long list of wants. But what does he need?

 
A decent pair of driving gloves?
sez who?  {#Dancingbanana}
I cannot find one redeeming aspect in this song.  Oh, the humanity.....
Saw Mr. Waters TWICE recently....  In Edmonton AB (Dark Side) AND Omaha NE (Wall) and gotta say LOVED both shows....RW is the HEART and SOUL of PF.....  Rock on brother Waters, Rock on.......
 Jim_Highfield wrote:


It's easy. God wants what you want. It's a personal god, see?

 
It's an institutional god.
 stromdal wrote:
As much as I love Pink Floyd, Roger Waters' solo stuff is just... better. I love this song. I love this album. And K.A.O.S. And Pros and Cons. Simply epic. <3

{#Notworthy}

Yip.  Yup.  YUP.


 


Can't believe you went here...  okay, I surrender....  who am I to argue with GOD.....  (But it is an amazing tune.....  give us more new stuff, Mr. Waters!)
jesus {#Eek} 
 Ouachita wrote:
How the fuck do any of you know what God wants?

I posted this and regret it.  It is a silly comment posted in a moment of anger.  

 

It's easy. God wants what you want. It's a personal god, see?
 ofanansky wrote:
as much as I love Pink Floyd, Roger Waters' solo stuff comes off as pretentious

 
Agreed - and here is where it peaked
 blotto wrote:
Did he just say God wants sex?

Yes he did.
Personally, it stikes an odd cord to hear: yet...
“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21) So if God is within me...
I know I want sex sometimes too..embracing Mr Water's expression.
 



As much as I love Pink Floyd, Roger Waters' solo stuff is just... better. I love this song. I love this album. And K.A.O.S. And Pros and Cons. Simply epic. <3

{#Notworthy}
God has a long list of wants. But what does he need?
Trivia:
The CD was recorded using some funky stereo quadraphonic system; basically if you sat in the stereo sweet spot the barking dog at the start of the album sounded like it was in the distance somewhere behind you.

 
A real pity that some record label was still catering to Waters' ego back in '92. This is like a rejected song from "The Wall."
Did he just say God wants sex?
Despite agreeing with some of the comments about Roger Waters, I love the passionate guitar playing.
It doesn't sound much like the Jeff Beck we know.
Other guitarists credited on this track are Geoff Whitehorn and Andy Fairweather Low.

Anybody know who's playing the standout solos? 
as much as I love Pink Floyd, Roger Waters' solo stuff comes off as pretentious
3
it has its place in my collection and i do like it, but prefer pros n cons.  I just hate him and love his music. he is an ungrateful egotistical git who hates war but was the cause of the most famous rift in rock.  JB has to have balls to work for him.


How the fuck do any of you know what God wants?

I posted this and regret it.  It is a silly comment posted in a moment of anger.  
{#Lol}  I get it now, this is a joke.
 SweTex wrote:
Come on, we all know that god takes care of his children. Just look at Japan, Haiti or the fact that there's children starving to death every day in this world.  Or does that have something to do with "free will", every christians favorite lame explanation every time they need a backdoor?
 

"      that's a false conclusion based on your anger or dislike of human suffering.   pain,death, and suffering do not prove the non-existence of God, it merely  proves the temporary nature of our lives.    Proverbs 3:5 is worth a glance    religious charities (of all faiths) account for hundreds of millions spent for aid in many of these circumstances (as well as feed the poor on a regular basis).  Really, it's not about whether an event was by the hand of God, but more like what are you gonna do about it now that it's happened,how will you help those in need,will you spend time in your community? will you give of your self ?  will u help feed those with no food? will u open your wallet and sacrifice some of your good life?  maybe you do , I hope so, bless you if you do
Apparently this song doesn't get played much, 2005, 2011.
Good to hear it in 2012.  
 Poacher wrote:
Unable to rate this. . . I love it and hate it at the same time. . . on a number of levels. . . in equal measure.

 
Waters' stuff is often that way with me.
 Amused wrote:
Definitly a masterpiece. Jeff Beck plays the guitar in it.
 
Word.

 Caturman wrote:

This is a great album imho, and an audiophile masterpiece as well !!


 
I totally agree with you Caturman. People may listen to this album in one go. Definitly a masterpiece. Jeff Beck plays the guitar in it.

 Poacher wrote:
Unable to rate this. . . I love it and hate it at the same time. . . on a number of levels. . . in equal measure.
 
Exactly..................now..I need to go take a dump. What God wants............
Unable to rate this. . . I love it and hate it at the same time. . . on a number of levels. . . in equal measure.

This is the song that should be used in the next 70s rock-n-roll band parody.  Horrid.
{#Moon}{#Whipit}            
{#Yell} W-A-T-E-R-S!!! {#Notworthy}
 rdo wrote:
Wow, this is horrible.  WTF?
 
GRW, not WTF.

 scrubbrush wrote:
What God wants is for Roger to produce another album.
 

...ça ira doesn't really count, does it?..
 maLeFunKtion wrote:
I didn't know Roger Waters did more than one solo album 8O

The only album I recall of his was Radio K.A.O.S., which when listened from start to finish, is actually in my opinion, quite a good listen.

"I don't like fish..."
 
shellfish.
guppy.
salmon.
shrimp and crab and lobster.
flounder.
i hate fish.
but i think most of all i hate fresh fish.
like trout.
i hate fresh trout.
my least hated favorite fish would be sole.
that way you don't have to see the eyes.
sole has no eyes.

Love it love it LOVE this one...  thanks, Bill!
Reading these comments is soooo much better than listening to the song.  Thanks for turning a negative into a positive! {#Lol}
 rdo wrote:
Wow, this is horrible.  WTF?
 

I couldn't disagree more.
Wow, this is horrible.  WTF?
Pink Floyd may not have been much worth listening to after Waters left but the reverse is also true - Waters hasn't been worth listening to since he left Pink Floyd.

pale blue Japanese guitar
 SweTex wrote:
Come on, we all know that god takes care of his children. Just look at Japan, Haiti or the fact that there's children starving to death every day in this world.  Or does that have something to do with "free will", every christians favorite lame explanation every time they need a backdoor?
 
Maybe it's "takes care of" in the sense that Tony Soprano "takes care of" someone.

This is a great album imho, and an audiophile masterpiece as well !!


 fissmoll wrote:
Taken out of the context this song stands a little short.

The album is by far the best ever done by Waters.

Leaving Floyd albums in the distance, both prior or after Waters' demise...
And the guitar sounding like Gilmour, come on....

Gilmour would probably wish he could sound like Jeff Beck when he is tuning up...
 
Taken out of the context this song stands a little short.
Agree - like all Roger's post-Meddle works, the song is brilliant in the context of the ultra-brilliant album (like Sgt Pepper) and should be apprciated as part of the album as a whole. I actually load all Floyd and Waters materials on to my iphone as "audio books" so i can listen to the songs sequentially and individual songs will not randomply get pulled into shuffled playlists.
The album is by far the best ever done by Waters.
I disagree - Pros and Cons (with Clapton) and The Final Cut are my two favorites... This album is brilliant though. What God wants is for Roger to produce another album.
Leaving Floyd albums in the distance, both prior or after Waters' demise...
I don't know how to 'rank' the works of Waters-era Pink Floyd vs his solo works. I mean, Dark Side? The Wall? WYWH? Animals? those are four of the best albums of all time. I've been listening to many of them since the early 80s and still go through 6 month phases where i'll get re-hooked on one album or another.
And the guitar sounding like Gilmour, come on....

Gilmour would probably wish he could sound like Jeff Beck when he is tuning up...
No way. Beck is great but Gilmour is beyond outstanding.


Come on, we all know that god takes care of his children. Just look at Japan, Haiti or the fact that there's children starving to death every day in this world.  Or does that have something to do with "free will", every christians favorite lame explanation every time they need a backdoor?
 Screature wrote:
Only Waters would be pretentious enough to think that he knows what God wants! I have been an (old) Pink Floyd fan going way back but Waters et. al. went to crap after The Wall and have been dying a slow death ever since. Please DON'T put us through his self important dronings again!
 
Hi, God here. I know this post was from 2005 but I'm God, that's a blink of an eye to me. I just wanted to let ya'll know that this song does not represent what I want, but rather what religious institutions that pretend to serve me want, and further, that's the point Waters was trying to make.

OK now that's out of the way I gotta go tinker with those reactors in Japan some more. It's like poking at an ant hill. Love it.

 Screature wrote:
Only Waters would be pretentious enough to think that he knows what God wants! I have been an (old) Pink Floyd fan going way back but Waters et. al. went to crap after The Wall and have been dying a slow death ever since. Please DON'T put us through his self important dronings again!
 
You gotta include all those Christians in that rant as well Screature.....aren't they always hammering into us what God wants, does, says? Believe in our God or we'll kill you? Idiots....
 Pyro wrote:
God wants me to press the mute button.
 
hahahaha!  {#Roflol}


Horrid. Unmusical.


What God wants is for Waters to quit whining about his Da. . . 
 
Jeff Beck is the best part of this song.
...wow!..

...i'm dumbstruck to hear this on radio paradise; one of my absolute favorite albums of all time...
fissmoll wrote:
The album is by far the best ever done by Waters. Leaving Floyd albums in the distance, both prior or after Waters' demise...
With a statement like that I am going to have to listen to the whole album, but I have to say that the keyboards are sounding pretty Huey Lewis and the background singers chanting is kinda cheesy...
Taken out of the context this song stands a little short. The album is by far the best ever done by Waters. Leaving Floyd albums in the distance, both prior or after Waters' demise... And the guitar sounding like Gilmour, come on.... Gilmour would probably wish he could sound like Jeff Beck when he is tuning up...
Only Waters would be pretentious enough to think that he knows what God wants! I have been an (old) Pink Floyd fan going way back but Waters et. al. went to crap after The Wall and have been dying a slow death ever since. Please DON'T put us through his self important dronings again!
Mugro wrote:
God wants the dreaded Yankees to yet again experience the humbling taste of defeat!
Oh, I so agree with you! Yankees go home!
God wants the dreaded Yankees to yet again experience the humbling taste of defeat!
Pyro wrote:
God wants me to press the mute button.
Strange. Maybe we have different gods, because god wanted me to turn up the volume. Since I was to slow in doing so, he used my rp filter to do it himself :) Certainly not a 10, but VERY nice to listen to.
Man, I almost wore this album out when it came out. Been a while since I tracked through it. Exceptional content. It's almost impossible to find any current music with this level of emotion and passion.
I'm not sure God wants this song. I know I don't.
That slow beat seems like they are dragging out the song...
Again i hear it and love it :D
mojoman wrote:
But Bill Clinton hasn't been in the White House for more than 4 years!
UNFORTUNATELY !!! but back to the topic: I like this song
I didn't know Roger Waters did more than one solo album 8O The only album I recall of his was Radio K.A.O.S., which when listened from start to finish, is actually in my opinion, quite a good listen. "I don't like fish..."
As a die-hard Floyd fan who goes back to the beginning, this is painful. That Amused to Death (1992) is widely viewed as Waters best solo effort should be telling. As in, Waters should be told to move on. No doubt he can do far more good as a benefactor than performer, much like Bob Geldof. Now, if only someone could figure out how to sneak Waters' lyrics into the current Floyd songwriting... Ho hum at best.
BooKitty wrote:
Gods wants an idiot in the Whitehouse, what Gods wants, God gets.
But Bill Clinton hasn't been in the White House for more than 4 years!
I liked this when it came out. Either it, or I haven't aged well. I'm guessing the song hasn't aged well, but honestly, its probably both!
BooKitty wrote:
Gods wants an idiot in the Whitehouse, what Gods wants, God gets.
Amen!
Garbage.
What can i say. I havnt herd this track since iw as a small boy... Its great to hear it again.
Gods wants an idiot in the Whitehouse, what Gods wants, God gets.
Floyd fans can be pretty hard on this tune, and Rogers works as a whole. I'll agree there is less melody, and musically speaking it's an easy argument to side with the nay's. Yet, the hard edge created by the guitar work and percussion sets up Rogers narrative singing style. This, combined with lyrical content , makes for a style of music that is unique and of quality. Did anyone see him perform Wish U Where Here with Clapton during one of the Tsunami FR's?
archrrone wrote:
Play more from this album :)
:headshake:
Sorry... without David Gilmour insisting on some melody, Roger's work is just downright unlistenable. And I've been a Floyd advocate from the days when See Emily Play was released, so I hate to have to say this about a (former) VIM (very important member) of one of my all-time favorite bands. So be it.
God wants me to press the mute button.
the relationships between songs in the playlist make my day sometimes...
LaChinchon wrote:
The usual Waters misanthropy. Nice guitar work, though (Jeff Beck?).
Yes, it's Jeff Beck. Not a great song, but the usual rippin'up by JB.
I think God wants this noise to stop.
Trustocity wrote:
Talk about paradigm shift: I just realized that this song really sucks. This after years of worshipping at the Waters alter. I must admit I haven't heard this song since the 90's, at which time I ate it up every time I heard it. Now, after half-a-decade of alternative whazits, this really has not aged well. Still love The Wall, same for Final Rip and all the other Floyd, but man. Wow. Phew. Didn't see that coming.
Interesting comment....interesting song.....where is he now?
Waters withers slowly into festering mediocrity. Too bad the collective madness of Floyd didn't survive.
Funny how the guitar sounds so much like Gilmour - as much as the two of them hate each other, they need each other artistically. They balance and complete each other.
jean-louis wrote:
I take the empty fluff any day over this pretentious pompous cabaret rock disaster.
The same is said of Lennon and McCartney all the time. Difference is, while those two were bloody genius together, they're still better solo than 90% of the artists in pop history. The same just can't be said of the decendants of Floyd, Yes, The Police, Traffic, and yeah, even Cream.
filmgeek65 wrote:
Without Gilmore, Waters a shrill whiner. Without Waters, Gilmore is empty fluff. Too bad they hate each other...
I take the empty fluff any day over this pretentious pompous cabaret rock disaster.
Some great recent songs somewhere out there on the "internets" by Waters on the clustermire in Iraq. Again too impressed by RP for even playing this to google for the tunes. And yes, this is part of an entire concept, which should be heard as a whole. And the political message, of course, will be despised by Reaganuts and Bushies. BTW, instead of beyotching about hippie artists, why can't these neocons put out their own tune-age, aside from John Ashcroft's jingoistic Eagle Soaring battlehymn for the republic. In the Flesh is a must own DVD for even casual fans of Floyd or Waters. Invite your friends over for a round of Texas Hold 'Em during Dogs.
Talk about paradigm shift: I just realized that this song really sucks. This after years of worshipping at the Waters alter. I must admit I haven't heard this song since the 90's, at which time I ate it up every time I heard it. Now, after half-a-decade of alternative whazits, this really has not aged well. Still love The Wall, same for Final Rip and all the other Floyd, but man. Wow. Phew. Didn't see that coming.
stickytylertoo wrote:
I'm so pleased...I disagree with you completely.
wow, our friendly neighborhood instigator takes pleasure in pointing out the fact that he disagrees with someone, for no purpose whatsoever... truly shocking.
jbwiv wrote:
Awesome song...awesome album. RadioParadise should create a "Full Length" channel to play discs like this that beg to be played all the way through!
Yeah! The raw hard-rockness of this blows me away. Hard, hard, hard rock is hard to find nowadays. Amazing guitar work. And you blended it in really well with the following cut, Tori Amos's "God"--both in sound and in concept. As a former DJ, I admire a really seamless segue!
Platypus wrote:
sorry to say it too, but.. i just cant for the lif eof me find anything redeeming about this track. let's hear some more obscure old Floyd instead.
I'm so pleased...I disagree with you completely.
sorry to say it too, but.. i just cant for the lif eof me find anything redeeming about this track. let's hear some more obscure old Floyd instead.
This is a tough one, because you really can't play one song off this album (or any other Waters solo album, The Final Cut included) without losing some of the continuity. And a lot of people don't have the musical attention span to be able to listen to a concept album, so you're stuck. That being said, I recently picked this album up after not having heard it for nearly ten years, and what an excellent piece of work. Solo Roger Waters is not Pink Floyd, and it's very good that it doesn't try to be. If you're looking for Pink Floyd in this stuff, then you'll be disappointed. If you look for something different, you just might like it.
Hate to say it, but this is crap.
I rarely feel compelled to comment but after listening to this song for a year straight, I still have to rave about it. I think if I hadn't discovered so many other great artists and other great pieces of work on RP I would still be listening to this. RP for playing songs off this truly genius album.