What if G-d was one of us?

This song has been running through my mind for a while. It first came out in 1995, sung by Joan Osborne, very sweet and devout. It was written by Eric Bazilian, who was a founding member of The Hooters.

According to Wikipedia, the song questions the anthropomorphic nature of God. The first four lines are a re-reading of a recording made in 1937 called “Heavenly Aeroplane” of American folkloric songs. Wikipedia states: “Paul Evans from Rolling Stone said it “imagines a God as hurt as any human”.”

Personally, I think the song presents tremendous devotion yet a very human questioning about whether G-d is as vulnerable as the rest of us. I usually use the spelling G-d to indicate that the very nature of god is unknown and perhaps unknowable.

Here it is:

… So one of these nights and about twelve o’clock
This old world’s gonna reel and rock
Saints will tremble and cry for pain
For the Lord’s gonna come, in his heavenly airplane

… Yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah

… If God had a name, what would it be?
And would you call it to His face
If you were faced with Him in all His glory?
What would you ask if you had just one question?

… And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

… What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make His way home?

… If God had a face, what would it look like?
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like Heaven and in Jesus and the saints
And all the prophets?

… And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

… What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make His way home?

… Tryin’ to make His way home
Back up to Heaven all alone
Nobody callin’ on the phone
‘Cept for the Pope, maybe in Rome

… Yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

… What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make His way home?

… Just tryin’ to make His way home?
Like a holy rolling stone?
Back up to Heaven all alone
Just tryin’ to make His way home?

… Nobody callin’ on the phone
‘Cept for the Pope, maybe in Rome

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Eric Bazilian