Kiss Me, Son of God: Religion and Music Collide in TMBG’s Masterpiece

I have asked that this song be played at my funeral.

Hi! My name’s Chase Roper and I’m writing about every song by They Might Be Giants. This is less of a musical analysis and more of a way to share bits of my life through memories associated with songs from one of my favorite bands. If you like TMBG or if you like connecting with people’s lives through writing, you’ll like this newsletter. Either way, thanks for being here.

I Built a Little Empire

In the mixtape of my life, Kiss Me, Son of God by They Might Be Giants will never wear out. It’s the finale of their iconic Lincoln album, packed full of powerful imagery, beautiful melodies, and striking harmonies. A simple piece of music for such a complicated subject.

The first time I heard this song, I immediately fell in love. There could not have been a better way to close out the 18-track sophomore album from the band. It follows Snowball in Hell (which treats us to a 1960s self-improvement tape), and somehow, Kiss Me, Son of God carries forward that retro tone with its simple orchestra.

Violins, a cello, along with tenor and alto saxophones join up with a keyboard to bring a heavenly sound for the Johns to harmonize with. The song ends with a few solo strums of the cello, fading both the track and the album into silence.

I love this song so much, but strangely, the Lincoln album version isn’t even my favorite. There’s an alternate version on Miscellaneous T¹ that strips away the strings, saxophones, and keyboard. It’s just John Linnell, John Flansburgh, and an accordion. That’s it. One of the most singularly perfect pieces of music I’ve ever let pour into my ears.

My Religious Struggles

Growing up, mainstream/organized religion never sat well with me. Especially Catholicism and Christianity. The idea of a God who loves people but also seems responsible for the atrocities among them? That felt hypocritical to me at a criminal level.

Hey, all God wants is to be the only thing we idolize, worship, love, and devote our lives to. In return, we get… heaven? Upset Him, though, and we get atrocities and hell? What an abusive narcissist.

Despite this abusive power imbalance, people will follow anyone or anything that seems godly, clinging to the promise of acceptance and fortune.

Religion’s Dark Side

So much horror has been wrought in the name of religion. Groups of people have believed faithfully that they are the righteous ones, following their god, while using their belief to oppress, colonize, enslave, conquer, and torture. It’s mortal men weaponizing organized religion, all in the name of an “all-good being.”

When I hear the lyrics to this song, sometimes I picture God as the narrator. Other times, it feels like the speaker is a cult leader or a high-ranking Cardinal—someone with a god-complex sized ego. The song’s brilliance lies in how it can fit almost any self-centered, narcissistic megalomaniac who craves praise and adulation on a spiritual level. I mean, is there not a better descriptor for God?

A Personal Journey Into and Promptly Out of The Church

When I was a teen, I thought it was cool to want a following. To be admired for your brilliance. To have your own cult. A very adolescent way of thinking from a kid raised in a Wiccan household by a pagan mom who’s borderline personality disorder skewed very narcissistic.

I loved learning about religions and seeing the parallels. Churches, to me, seemed like just another cult. Eventually, after becoming a teen parent, I too fell into the cult of Christianity. The need for support and community came in the form of local church groups with other “young” parents.

Next thing you know, I was playing bass for the worship team and leading prayers.

Over a decade later, I dropped it all and returned to what I had known all along. The process wasn’t too hard for me since I always had one foot out the door. But speaking publicly about my frustration with anti-gay sentiments in the church drew the ire of certain leaders.

One such leader took me aside and told me I had rebellion in my heart. And apparently, rebellion is a form of witchcraft. He warned that allowing even a tiny bit of witchcraft in could dig its claws into me for life.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him my whole childhood was filled with Eastern philosophy and good ol’ fashioned witchcraft. Honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t burst into flames every time I walked into church.

The Scam of the Millennia

Looking back, I can see the subversive system God has created. Billions of people want you to love God as much as God loves God. And of course, the best way to show that love is by giving money to someone else.

It’s presented as unconditional love, except for all the pesky conditions and the mental gymnastics required to justify God’s behavior as “love.” Have you ever left “the church”? I’d love to hear about it.

The Power of This Song

This song has always resonated with me on a spiritual and religious level. It resonates like a church tower bell, triumphantly ringing out my disdain for both.

The song begins and ends with the same stanza:

I built a little empire out of some crazy garbage, called the blood of the exploited working class.

But they’ve overcome their shyness.

Now they’re calling me Your Highness.

And a world screams, “Kiss me, Son of God.”

This song, like the entire Lincoln album, is a complicated, beautiful work that I can’t imagine my life without.

It’s MY church.

---

This essay is from my Lincoln album era. Where TMBG started sounding less like a curiosity and more like a mirror we accidentally grew up staring into.

• Read more posts from Lincoln - Start Here

• Visit TMBW.net, the indispensable TMBG fan wiki

1. Seen here!