Atheism is a sad religion

    That’s the thesis of a 2010 Steve Martin comedy routine in which Martin is accompanied by the Steep Canyon Rangers. Go here.  “Atheists don’t have no songs.” “Atheists just sing the blues.” Atheists have rock-n-roll, but don’t we all.

    If atheism is “the religion of reason,” it might mean that its adherents are, by and large, ill-equipped to engage in flights of lyric imagination. But I like the 2009 song by First Aid Kit entitled “Hard Believer.” Its wording is explicitly atheist. It is bluesy. Go here.

    There are great comics who have advocated for atheism in their routines – George Carlin and Stephen Fry come to mind. Scientists who advocate for atheism are a dime a dozen. But, so far at least, it’s hard to think of songwriters who lift up their voices and sing the glories of atheism.

    Lyrics of “Atheists have no songs” and “Hard Believer” below the jump.

 Atheists don’t have no songs (AKA The Atheist Hymnal)

Chris­tians have their hymns and pages,
Hava Nag­i­la’s for the Jews,
Bap­tists have the rock of ages,
Athe­ists just sing the blues.

Ro­man­tics play Claire de Lune,
Born agains sing “He is risen,”
But no one ever wrote a tune,
For god­less ex­is­ten­tial­ism. 

For Athe­ists there’s no good news. They’ll never sing a song of faith.
In their songs they have a rule: the “he” is al­ways low­er­case.
The “he” is al­ways low­er­case. 

Some folks sing a Bach can­ta­ta,
Luther­ans get Christ­mas trees,
Athe­ist songs add up to nada,
But they do have Sun­days free.

Pentecostals sing to heav­en,
Cop­tics have the books of scrolls,
Nu­merol­o­gists can count to seven,
Athe­ists have rock and roll.

For Athe­ists there’s no good news. They’ll never sing a song of faith.
In their songs they have a rule: the “he” is al­ways low­er­case.
The “he” is al­ways low­er­case.

Atheists don’t have no songs.
Chris­tians have their hymns and pages,
Hava Nag­i­la’s for the Jews,
Bap­tists have the rock of ages,
Athe­ists just sing the blues.

Catholics dress up for Mass,
And lis­ten to, Gre­go­ri­an chants.
Athe­ists just take a pass, Watch foot­ball in their un­der­pants.
Watch foot­ball in their un­der­pants.

Atheists don’t have no songs.

Hard Believer

So you ask for my opinion
Well what is there to say
To be honest and just foolish
Won't make you wanna stay
You've got to go on and get moving
I can't do that for you
Got so many plans and so much you want to do

Love is tough, time is rough
Love is tough, time is rough
Whoaaaa on me

Well I see you've got your bible
Your delusion imagery
Well I don't need your eternity
Or your meaning to feel free
I just live because I love to
And that's enough you see
So don''t come preach about morality
That's just human sense to me

Love is tough, time is rough
Love is tough, time is rough
Whoaaaa on me
On me-eeee .. on me-eee ...

break

And it's one life and it's this life
And it's beautiful

(repeat)

And it's beau .. beau .. beau ... beautiful

Love is tough, time is rough
Whoaaaa on me