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Worship You Lyrics

Only in the way you want it
Only on the day you want it
Only with the understanding every single day you want it

You, you

City with the weight upon it
City in the way you want it
City with the safety of a never-ending blessing on it

You, you

We worshipped you
Your red right hand
Won't we see you once again?
In foreign soil, in foreign land
Who will guide us through the end?

Calling on a change we want it
Calling on the same we want it
Calling for the misery to always be explained we want it

You, you

Energetic praise you want it
Any kind of place you want it
Little bit of light to get us through the final days you want it

You, too
Song Info
Submitted by
songmeanings On Mar 13, 2013
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13 Meanings

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Cover art for Worship You lyrics by Vampire Weekend

I think that the beginning of this song is stating how people may view praying, praising and diving into the word as something that they HAVE to do repetitively because God only wants it a certain way, everyday. Also how most people only praise God because they fear his red right hand or Gods vengeance on us. However I think in a way Ezra is wanting a change where we worship and pray to Him not because we must, or in order to avoid consequences but because of faith in God's plans for us and because of His goodness. Ezra is saying that when we praise energetically and joyously, or from our hearts then we have a "little bit of light to guide us through the final days" or in other words, hope. I think he is also asking if they are only praising God because they fear his wrath then why are bad things still happening in this world? Questioning the works vs. faith debate. I am also a little confused because he is asking God "wont we see you once again" where that means that he must believe in Jesus because Jesus was God in the flesh. But since he is Jewish I thought they didn't believe in that?

My Interpretation

Jews are still waiting on the Messiah, so it could be a double meaning.

@purplebluewhite I am also a little confused because he is asking God "wont we see you once again" where that means that he must believe in Jesus because Jesus was God in the flesh. But since he is Jewish I thought they didn't believe in that?

I think your missing the context of the message. It's not about Jesus but about humanities ability to love and do good. It's asking the world for peace and for humanity to spread kindness and love.

Cover art for Worship You lyrics by Vampire Weekend

This song is simultaneously grappling with the strange ways God presents himself, when blessing one city (Jerusalem), and then, after the Diaspora, not bringing the Jewish people back to their homeland.

He wants God to explain himself, when the Old Testament God would frequently rather remain mysterious. This theme is continued in the next song, Ya Hey.

"red right hand" is referring to a line in Paradise Lost, in which John Milton uses the phrase as a metaphor to the vengeful hand of God.

Cover art for Worship You lyrics by Vampire Weekend

The "In foreign soil / In foreign land" seems reminiscent of Psalm 137, "How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?" Incidentally the Psalm was adapted into a Rastafari song, "By the Rivers of Babylon," by the Melodians 1970.

Cover art for Worship You lyrics by Vampire Weekend

how do you even understand what he's singing about oh god how do you get that from the fast bit at the beginning.

Cover art for Worship You lyrics by Vampire Weekend

I first listened to this song right after i turned agnostic from being religious all my life. so my first thoughts on this song is of religion.

Memory
Cover art for Worship You lyrics by Vampire Weekend

I listened to Ezra talk about this song on BBCR1 and he said, "Overall, the lyrics of 'Worship You' are about kind of believing in something, whether it's a religious belief or a political belief, putting all your faith and then coming to this other point where you start to question it. [...] The idea that there's something that you worship, that you totally leaned on, and then you kind of had to think twice, it left you, it went away, and then you were kind of back on your own for a second."

As others have said, I think that the song is partly about God, but I think it has an ambiguity that allows you to also interpret it as about political figures (perhaps Barack Obama) who betray what you expected of them.

Song Meaning
Cover art for Worship You lyrics by Vampire Weekend

I think, as with a lot of the songs on this album, he's really struggling with believing in God vs atheism. He's incredibly frustrated with God because he sees the continual suffering and he wants an explanation (Calling for the misery to always be explained) but he can't see it or understand the ways of God.

Cover art for Worship You lyrics by Vampire Weekend

I think this critiques demands and rituals that Religions ask us to perform....God only wants to be worshiped in the way he has dictated.....on the day he has dictated........he has the city and the people running according to his laws.....but what does he really give us in return?

eternal life if you believe

Cover art for Worship You lyrics by Vampire Weekend

"I've just seen a face I can't forget the time or place where we just met she's just the girl for me and I want all the world to see we've met hmm hmm hmm la da da"

Man, my "Help" album doesn't play like it used to... hahaha

Song Comparison
Cover art for Worship You lyrics by Vampire Weekend

Here's Ezra explaining the song for himself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLEP5FteZDI