[ ]   [ ]   [ ]                        [ ]      [ ]   [ ]
The Neville Brothers — With God On Our Side
Album: Yellow Moon
Avg rating:
5.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 124









Released: 1989
Length: 6:26
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Oh, my name it means nothing and my age it means less
For the country I come from, is called the Midwest
I was taught and brought up, to the laws to abide
And that the land that I live in, has God on its side

Oh, the history books tell it, they tell it so well
The Calvaries charged and the Indians fell
The Calvaries charged and the Indians died
Oh, the country was young then, with God on its side

The Spanish, American, war had its day
And the civil war to us, was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes, I was made to memorize
With guns in their hands and God on their side

The first world war, it came and it went
And the reason for fighting, I never did get
But I learned to accept it, accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead when God's on your side

In the nineteen-sixties came the Vietnam war
Can someone tell me, what we were fighting for?
So many young men died, so many mothers cried
No I ask the question, was God on our side?

I learned to hate the Russians all through my whole life
If another war comes, it's them we must fight
And to hate them and fear them, to run and to hide
And accept it all bravely, with God on my side

Through many dark hours, I've been thinking about this
That Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you, you'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot had God on his side

Oh, now as I'm leaving, I'm weary as hell
The confusion I'm feeling, ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head and they fall to the floor
That if God's on our side, He'll stop the next war
Jesus loves me, this I know
Comments (27)add comment
Very fine, and the negative comments are a mystery to me.  Also, as I study these things, the righteousness of all the wars the US has ever fought gets more questionable.  As one example of what I mean I'll include a link to an old book worth reading, John Kenneth Turner's Shall It Be Again?

https://archive.org/details/cu31924027862196 
Reminds me of Elvis Costello's cover of the Cait O'Riordan song Broken on Mighty Like A Rose.  But this goes on for way too long...
What a voice. Amazing. Linda Rondstadt said 'the voice of an angel'.
 
*YAWN*
I love this song just not with Aaron Neville. It's so over the top it's almost caricature. 
Hi Bill, Please play also the Buddy Miller version
Good song from a good album.

Lyrics freak me out...no matter who sings them.  
 
Holy crap.  No comments since 2004 and this is a really bad song.
Fantastic Version... Timely too. Bob can't sing but he can write songs like a mofo.
Joyfulchristine wrote:
Though the examples of war he uses are ones we fought both justly (against the Germans) and unjustly (against the Native Americans).
Listen again. He doesn't mention world war 2, which I think most people agree we were well-justified to fight. He talks about world war 1, which isn't nearly so clear-cut. We joined the war on the side of the English, as far as I can tell, because they speak English. It's a lot easier to think of someone as a baby-eating hun if they speak a foreign language. Sure, there was also the thing about the sinking of the Lucitania, but the Germans told us not to send ships over there, even passsenger ships, and we ignored that. Joyfulchristine wrote:
There are probably many levels of meaning here. I'm interested to hear what other folks out there make of this song.
I thknk he's just talking about wars with questionable motives. And as someone else mentioned, Dubya should take a listen to this song. Except, of course, that he knows that God is on his side. He would probably be heartened by this song. -David
Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!! Dedicated to all you Fake Christians out there.
This is a horrible song. So horrible that I had to open up the Radio Paradise webpage and try and remember my login. After four login in attempts, I still tried to get onto the page, just to say. MAKE IT STOP! Thank you and good night.
Good tune, horrible version.
I think this is an exceptional rendition and very beautiful too.
Make it stop!!
Not really important but it isn't a vibratto. It is a tremello
.... hmmm.... same tune different words.. Try these on... My love is like a storybook story. But it's as real as the feelings I feel.... Ending theme to The Princess Bride..
I, too, love his voice and the tune. It is unexpectedly and delightfully Celtic in feel. The lyrics, however, are disturbing and at a strong discord with the gentle feel of the song. It's hard to decide what point he is trying to make...is he mocking the oft repeated notion that God is on our side when we commit war? Though the examples of war he uses are ones we fought both justly (against the Germans) and unjustly (against the Native Americans). There are probably many levels of meaning here. I'm interested to hear what other folks out there make of this song.
Are you listening, Dubya? No? Didn't think so.
Bring back the original version! This one would make me sick on its own, and when I think of how it butchers the original, it's even worse.
artmarcia wrote:
I think I like the Joan Baez version better, but this is my favorite anti-war song, so I'm glad to hear this version also.
I'm partial to the Bob Dylan version. I always thought the lyric about WWI was funny, because the first time anyone tried to explain what started it, I didn't understand. Bob Dylan wrote:
The First World War, came and it went The reason for fighting I never did get
Well, I like the song and Aaron Neville's voice..there..now, you can make fun of me. When he sings with Linda Rondstand ..it is just heavenly...
I like the sentiment and the lyrics, but the music and the singer are annoying. :?
Mot wrote:
So mellow and the vibratto makes me sea sick.
:D sickbags to the right nice version reminds me of crimson n clover
Aaron Neville's voice drives me absolutely crazy... Enough with the vibratto!
I think I like the Joan Baez version better, but this is my favorite anti-war song, so I'm glad to hear this version also.
So mellow and the vibratto makes me sea sick.