I was watching a TV show [1] and this song came on. Its called “Laughing With” by Regina Spektor.
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing
Or so very poor
No one laughs at God when the doctor calls
After some routine tests
No one’s laughing at God
When it’s gotten real late
Their kid’s not back from that party yet
No one laughs at God when their airplane
Starts to uncontrollably shake
No one’s laughing at God
When they see the one they love
Hand in hand with someone else
And they hope that they’re mistaken
No one laughs at God
When the cops knock on their door
And they say “We got some bad news, sir”
No one’s laughing at God
When there’s a famine, fire, or a flood…
But God could be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to
A good god-themed joke
Or when the crazies say he hates us
And they get so red in
The head you’d think they’re about to choke
God could be funny
When told he’ll give you money
If you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket
And Santa Claus
God could be so hilarious
Ha-ha
Ha-ha
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’ve lost all they got
And they don’t know what for
No one laughs at God on the day they realize
That the last sight they’ll ever see
Is a pair of hateful eyes
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re saying their goodbyes
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one’s laughing at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing
Or so very poor
No one’s laughing at God
No one’s laughing at God
No one’s laughing at God
We’re all laughing with God
Had you heard this song before? What do you think of it? It really hit home as it played in a sad part of the show.
[1] The show was “The Leftovers” on MAX. Very interesting show about 2% of the world’s population just disappears, and the psychological impact that would have on those that are leftover.
Wheat & Tares 
Not too many folks advocating for defunding the police lately either.
I am a big fan of Regina’s music, and went to her concert at the Ryman Auditorium last year, one of the first concerts she had done after a bit of a hiatus.
This song is one of my favorites of hers.
I prefer Soviet Kitsch, personally, but Far does indeed have some ballers like Laughing With.
I always preferred Soviet Kitsch personally, but Laughing With is indeed a baller.
BB,
Regina Spektor has several songs that invoke God and devils and religious imagery in what I think are very interesting ways, but for music listeners that prefer a more straight up anthem of faith there is also the lovely The Call written for the Chronicles of Narnia movies and which is on my playlist for times when facing an uncertain future.
“It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
‘Til it was a battle cry
I’ll come back
When you call me
No need to say goodbye
Just because everything’s changing
Doesn’t mean it’s never been this way before
All you can do is try to know who your friends are
As you head off to the war
Pick a star on the dark horizon
And follow the light
You’ll come back
When it’s over
No need to say goodbye
You’ll come back
When it’s over
No need to say goodbye
Now we’re back to the beginning
It’s just a feeling and no one knows yet
But just because they can’t feel it too
Doesn’t mean that you have to forget
Let your memories grow stronger and stronger
‘Til they’re before your eyes
You’ll come back
When they call you
No need to say goodbye
You’ll come back
When they call you
No need to say goodbye”
The God Who Failed by Metallica for all you kids from the 80s.
I don’t quite know what to make of the last line of Spektor’s song “we’re all
laughing with God” instead of “no one’s laughing at God”. Sounds dark and sort of God and mankind are together laughing at the unfortunate.
josh h – the reason no one is advocating to defund the police anymore is because Joe Biden emphatically insisted that Democrats are not going to defund the police (2022 State of the Union address). It was a great example of the leader of a national party reigning in an idea that was on the fringe and was alienating a lot of people. The fringe then dropped it. The Democrats aren’t pandering to their lunatic fringe.
on the topic of the post – I haven’t heard that song before, but the series sounds really interesting. I put Season 1 on hold at the library.
I noticed the same thing Toad did about that last line. It sounds like everyone, including God, is laughing at the less fortunate.
Just reading the lyrics, it’s a bitter and disbelieving song. No one laughs at God. The only time he’s laughable is when he promises mercy or help. Laugh at that. But no one can laugh at the cruelty and despair. There’s no respect for God in that song; it’s a condemnation.
Janey,
I can see how you could interpret the song the way you did if you only read the lyrics. Maybe that is actually how it is intended, but that never is how the song has seemed to me listening to it actually being sung.
I think it’s especially important to recognize that the last line is sung in almost a whisper and apologetically. Or at least that is how it has always seemed to me.
The sense I get from the song is that the narrator has in fact had fun at God’s expense at cocktail parties and such, brought up all the usual little sly ways one can rag on God when one feels safe and secure. And does still recognize that there is real irony in how we do want God to be a genie or Santa Claus. But that the narrator has come to a realization that when faced with real threat, they aren’t laughing at God or at those who believe in a God of deliverance either. And then, like the person who was telling jokes about a person behind their back only to discover that they were actually present, there is the attempt to cover up with this sort of lame attempt to say I wasn’t laughing at you, I was laughing with you, with the hope for forgiveness.
Maybe I just am missing the actual intent of the song, but I just never got at all that sense how you interpreted it from the listening to it.
“Defund the Police” was very poorly worded. From my understanding, most of the time the intent was 2-fold:
– that the some of funding going to the police would be used better when people the police treat as criminals need social services
– that militarizing the police (by directing actual used military equipment to them) is a bad idea for most local police uses
Demilitarize the Police.
Find social services.
Ironically, some lousy ideas those on the right have latched onto, they continually implement, particularly austerity measures such as defunding education, and lowering taxes. Both harm working people, and are partly what leads to more wealth disparity.
Everyone benefits from a well educated society.
Investing in communities has a large beneficial return to many, many people.
Equitable taxation – not enough words to adequately state how terrible our current inverse wealth:taxation system is.
Close the Loopholes+
Josh h, I disagree with not discussing politics. HOW we discuss politics matters. Political policies impacts every person.
Everybody.
We ought to discuss the actual policies, the effects they have.
I was trying to draw an analogy between non-religious folks who think they need God when faced with a crisis (hospital, airplane, etc.) and anti-police folks who see the light when crime rates rise. Note: I never accused Biden or any specific Democrat of advocating defunding of the police.
What’s laughable is writing a line like “anti-police folks who see the light when crime rates rise.” What a strawman.
Darling picture.
Anyone remember “Blasphemous Rumors” (Depeche Mode)? Which was essentially about God laughing AT us.
I have enjoyed that song along with other Regina songs,
Love Regina and this song!
I’d love to see her live! Awesome!