God Told Me To (song)
Encyclopedia
"God Told Me To" is the first single from Australian songwriter Paul Kelly's
album Stolen Apples
.
The song deals with a fictional character called John Johanna, on trial for murder. To explain his actions, John defends himself by saying that God
told him to do this. The song continues Paul Kelly's affair with using biblical imagery in his songs.
In an interview Kelly explains
Kelly explains that he borrowed the opening line - "My name is John Johanna" - from American folk antiquity but points out that John is also the name of the author of the Book of Revelation
, the apocalyptic last book of the New Testament
.
music video
show rage
in June 2007. The controversial video was directed by Natasha Pinkus, and is done in a single shot. The camera zooms out slowly from Paul's eye, eventually revealing him to be tied up in a glass
case in a pool of blood
. Pinkus explains that the blood was Kelly's idea
The video was nominated for a Dendy award at the 2007 Sydney Film Festival and won the 2007 Inside Film Award for 'Best Music Video'.
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
album Stolen Apples
Stolen Apples (album)
Stolen Apples is the twenty fifth album by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and was released in July 2007 on EMI Music. The album is Kelly's first solo album since Ways & Means in 2004, and features religious themes throughout....
.
The song deals with a fictional character called John Johanna, on trial for murder. To explain his actions, John defends himself by saying that God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
told him to do this. The song continues Paul Kelly's affair with using biblical imagery in his songs.
In an interview Kelly explains
Kelly explains that he borrowed the opening line - "My name is John Johanna" - from American folk antiquity but points out that John is also the name of the author of the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
, the apocalyptic last book of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
Video
The video for the song was first aired on ABCAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
show rage
Rage (TV program)
Rage is a popular all-night Australian music video program broadcast on ABC1 on Friday nights, Saturday mornings and Saturday nights. It was first screened on the weekend of Friday, 17 April 1987. With Soul Train no longer being produced, it is the oldest music television program currently still...
in June 2007. The controversial video was directed by Natasha Pinkus, and is done in a single shot. The camera zooms out slowly from Paul's eye, eventually revealing him to be tied up in a glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
case in a pool of blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
. Pinkus explains that the blood was Kelly's idea
The video was nominated for a Dendy award at the 2007 Sydney Film Festival and won the 2007 Inside Film Award for 'Best Music Video'.
Personnel
- Paul Kelly - acoustic guitar, lead vocals
- Dan Kelly - electric guitar, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, vocals - Dan Ludscombe - electric guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Peter Ludscombe - drums, percussion
- Bill McDonald - bass