"God" is a song by American singer-songwriter and musician
Tori Amos
Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
. It was released as the fourth single from her second studio album ''
Under the Pink''. It was released on February 3, 1994, by
Atlantic Records in North America (as a first single), on May 2, in Australia (as a second single), and on October 3 by
EastWest Records in the UK. The song reached number 44 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
,
as well as number one on the US
Modern Rock Tracks chart.
It also became Amos' first single to chart on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 72.
Releases
The B-sides to the American release included Amos' reworking of "
Home on the Range
"Home on the Range" is a classic cowboy song, sometimes called the "unofficial anthem" of the American West. Dr. Brewster M. Higley (also spelled Highley) of Smith County, Kansas, wrote the lyrics as the poem "My Western Home" in 1872 or 1873 ...
", with new lyrics, as well as a two-song instrumental piano suite. An American cassette single featured the b-side "Sister Janet".
A completely different single was released in Europe on CD, 12-inch and 7-inch vinyl single, and cassette. The 7-inch single was a glossy dual sided picture disc. The various formats featured ambient and jungle house remixes of the track by
CJ Bolland
Christian Jay "C. J." Bolland (born 18 June 1971, Stockton-on-Tees, England) is an English-Belgian electronic music producer and remixer with British roots.
Born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, Bolland's family moved to Antwerp in Flan ...
,
Carl Craig
Carl Craig (born May 22, 1969) is an American electronic music producer, DJ, and founder of the record label Planet E Communications. He is known as a leading figure and pioneer in the second wave of Detroit techno artists during the late 1980s ...
and The Joy.
Music video
The music video for "God" directed by
Melodie McDaniel
Melodie McDaniel (born 1967) is a Los Angeles, CA-based American still life, celebrity, and advertising photographer and film director.
Early life and background
Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, McDaniel graduated in 1992 from Art Center Co ...
features Amos in a variety of religiously-themed situations, such as a scene visually comparing a
tefillin
Tefillin (; Israeli Hebrew: / ; Ashkenazic pronunciation: ), or phylacteries, are a set of small black leather boxes with leather straps containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. Tefillin are worn by adult Jews durin ...
used by a
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
with a basketball player using a belt while injecting drugs. The video is often remembered for scenes of Amos singing in front of a lit candle, dancing with a plethora of
brown rat
The brown rat (''Rattus norvegicus''), also known as the common rat, street rat, sewer rat, wharf rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Norwegian rat and Parisian rat, is a widespread species of common rat. One of the largest muroids, it is a brown o ...
s (possibly at the
Rat temple); this was commented on in an episode of the television show ''
Beavis and Butt-head'', and parodying a
snake cult.
Track listings
US CD single
# "God" – 3:58
# "Home on the Range" (Cherokee Edition) – 5:25
# Piano Suite: "All the Girls Hate Her" – 2:23
# Piano Suite: "Over It" – 2:11
US cassette single
# "God" – 3:58
# "Sister Janet" – 4:02
US promotional CD single
# "God" (No Guitar) – 3:58
# "God" (Some Guitar) – 3:58
# "God" – 3:58
UK and German CD single
# "God" – 3:58
# "God" (The Dharma Kayã Mix) – 12:34
# "God" (The Rainforest Resort Mix) – 10:32
# "God" (The Thinking Mix 2) – 9:50
UK 12-inch single
# "God" (The Thinking Mix 2) – 9:50
# "God" (a cappella vocal and Rain Mix) – 4:42
# "God" (The Rainforest Resort Mix) – 10:32
# "God" (The CJ Bolland Mix) – 5:58
UK 7-inch and cassette single
# "God" – 3:58
# "God" (A cappella vocal and Rain Mix) – 4:42
Charts
Release history
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:God
1994 singles
1994 songs
Albums with cover art by Dave McKean
Atlantic Records singles
East West Records singles
Song recordings produced by Eric Rosse
Songs critical of religion
Songs written by Tori Amos
Tori Amos songs