Dear God (XTC song)

"Dear God" is a song on the 1986 album Skylarking by English band XTC. It was not a part of the original Skylarking album, being originally released as a B-side to "Grass", but after DJs across America picked up the song, Geffen Records decided to replace "Mermaid Smiled" with "Dear God". The song was inspired by a series of books with the same title, seen by lead singer Andy Partridge as exploitation of children.

Background and content

The first verse and closing line are sung by eight-year-old Jasmine Veillette, the daughter of a friend of producer Todd Rundgren. In the video a boy lip-syncs her vocals. The lyrics are addressed to God, and vividly describe the range of human suffering, which the narrator attributes to God. Partridge concludes every verse with the line "I can't believe in you". The lyrics express doubt as to the existence of God ("Did you make mankind after we made you?"), the omnibenevolence of God ("The wars you bring, the babes you drown, those lost at sea and never found"), and the value of the Bible as God's word ("Us crazy humans wrote it [...] Still believin' that junk is true / well, I know it ain't and so do you").

Despite the song only barely managing to chart in the UK and never reaching the pop charts in the US, in 2009 it was ranked at #62 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.^[1]

In pop culture

The song was featured in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Sarah McLachlan version

Sarah McLachlan covered the song in 1995 for the XTC tribute album A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC. The song also appears on her compilation album Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff.^[2]

Chart positions

Charts (1987)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	99
US Billboard Album Rock Chart	37

References

XTC

Andy Partridge Colin Moulding Barry Andrews Terry Chambers Dave Gregory

Studio albums	White Music Go 2 Drums and Wires Black Sea English Settlement Mummer The Big Express 25 O'Clock Skylarking Psonic Psunspot Oranges & Lemons Nonsuch Apple Venus Volume 1 Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)

EP	3D - EP

Live album	BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert

Compilations	Waxworks: Some Singles 1977–1982 Beeswax: Some B-Sides 1977–1982 The Compact XTC Chips from the Chocolate Fireball Explode Together: The Dub Experiments 78-80 Rag and Bone Buffet: Rare Cuts and Leftovers Drums and Wireless: BBC Radio Sessions 77–89 Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977–92 Upsy Daisy Assortment Transistor Blast: The Best of the BBC Sessions

Box sets	Coat of Many Cupboards Apple Box

Demos Remixes	Homespun Homegrown Instruvenus Waspstrumental

Singles	"Science Friction" "Statue of Liberty" "This Is Pop?" "Are You Receiving Me?" "Life Begins at the Hop" "Making Plans for Nigel" "Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down" "Generals and Majors" "Towers of London" "Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" "Senses Working Overtime" "Wonderland" "Dear God" "Mayor of Simpleton" "King for a Day" "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead"

Related articles	Discography The Dukes of Stratosphear Urgh! A Music War A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC Fuzzy Warbles Take Away / The Lure of Salvage

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