Sit down lyrics true meaning

[pedrovaladas]

Hope that god exists
I hope I pray

or

Hope that god exists
I hope, I pray?

[scarecrow]

The second option

[pedrovaladas]

scarecrow said:

The second option

To be honets I think it's the first, although it seems like the second on the album version, almost all others seem to be the first... I think it would be a brilliant critic to the organized religion idea James dislike so much.... I hope God exists, and if he does, I hope I pray, otherwise I'll be lost... A critic aginst those who say that only by praying can you be near god...Or the verb to pray could be a metaphore itself.....

[cat]

Interesting take on that lyric, I'd never thought of it that way. I think it's intended to be the second one, though. He's not hoping he prays, he's hoping that God exists, that there is some point to what he's been going through, extremes of high and low. Then "I hope, I pray" is an indication of how fervent that wish is, since it gets progressively desperate, going from merely hoping to praying. But no question mark after "pray"; he's not asking someone else if God exists, he's stating his own plea that there is a God.

[pedrovaladas]

cat said:

Interesting take on that lyric, I'd never thought of it that way. I think it's intended to be the second one, though. He's not hoping he prays, he's hoping that God exists, that there is some point to what he's been going through, extremes of high and low. Then "I hope, I pray" is an indication of how fervent that wish is, since it gets progressively desperate, going from merely hoping to praying. But no question mark after "pray"; he's not asking someone else if God exists, he's stating his own plea that there is a God.

Indeed

[lostinsound]

I've always found the concept of praying that God exists quite humorous myself. One thing that makes that lyric so great.

[Poster Saint]

cat said:

Interesting take on that lyric, I'd never thought of it that way. I think it's intended to be the second one, though. He's not hoping he prays, he's hoping that God exists, that there is some point to what he's been going through, extremes of high and low. Then "I hope, I pray" is an indication of how fervent that wish is, since it gets progressively desperate, going from merely hoping to praying. But no question mark after "pray"; he's not asking someone else if God exists, he's stating his own plea that there is a God.

I agree wholeheartedly, and I love the irony--or perhaps an intrinsic touch of devotion--involved when you consider that prayers are spoken directly to God, therefore Tim directly asks God if He exists. Challenging beliefs is much better than blindly accepting something and never growing to understand it.

[bon]

Here's my take.

Taking the couplet as whole;
1st line 'I Hope that god exists' is followed by the two phrases I hope, I pray.

Listening there is a small 'punctuation' gap so I have interpreted this couplet as;

I hope that god exists
I hope (he exists)
I pray (he exists)

Where the (he exists) is implied.

Whereas the other interpretation seems to say;

I hope I pray (This is a complete sentence with Subject and Object and so from a grammatical point of view it could be seen as more likely.)

So the meaning becomes;

I hope that god exists
AND (upper case for emphasis not shouting)
I hope I pray

(Surely he would know if he prays or not?)

In the end it is the ambivalence of some of Tim's work that empowers them.

You pays your money, you takes your choice

(or is that - You pays your money you takes your choice)

Vive la difference!