There are three sections in the song: In the first section, John Lennon describes God as "a concept by which we measure our pain". In the second, Lennon lists many movements that he does not believe in, ending by stating that he just believes in himself and Yoko. He rejects magic, the I Ching, the Bible, tarot, Hitler, Jesus, Kennedy, Buddha, mantra, the Gita, yoga, kings, Elvis, Zimmerman and the Beatles. The final section describes Lennon's change since the break-up of the Beatles. While the Beatles were basically his family throughout the 1960s, he states that he is no longer the "Dreamweaver" or "The Walrus", but just "John". The final line of the song, "The dream is over,” in effect officially declared the end of the 1960s and its quest for meaning in utopian movements. Lennon is saying that meaning lies within oneself. "If there is a God," Lennon explained, "we're all it."
Personnel
The musicians who performed on the original recording were as follows:
The line "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me" was referenced in the 1986 filmFerris Bueller's Day Off.
The song has been performed by Queen guitarist Brian May, with sweeping lyrical changes.
Irish rock bandU2 wrote a song entitled "God Part II", referring to the original Lennon song. The lyrics, written by lead singerBono, continue the pattern of stating things he does not believe in. The song also refers to "Instant Karma!", another one of Lennon's songs, with the line "Instant karma's gonna get him / If I don't get him first".
Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman's song "God Part III" on his 1991 Stranded in Babylon album, "draws on John Lennon's "God" and the U2 riposte ", with lyrics that indicate: "I don't believe in Beatles", and "Don't believe in the revolution or the empty words of peace."
Boomtown Rats song "Like Clockwork" has a line saying, "She thinks time is a concept by which we measure our pain She wants to say it again, but she don't have time"
"God" was mocked in the National Lampoon Comedy Radio song "Magical Misery Tour", also released on the 1972 National Lampoon Radio Dinner album. This parody consists entirely of actual quotes from Lennon's famous Rolling Stone magazine interview following the break-up of The Beatles. It ends with "Lennon" crying out, "Where are you, Mother!? They're trying to crucify me!", followed by a heavily echoed fadeout of repeated primal screams "Fuck! Fuck!".
The David Bowie song "Afraid" makes a reference to "God" with the lyric "I believe in Beatles", part of a brief list of statements beginning with "I believe in".
Prince's 1981 song "Controversy" includes the line "Do I believe in God, do I believe in me?" in reference to "God".
The Afroman song "Because I Got High" contains a line near the end commenting that the character in the song does not believe in Hitler, possibly in reference to the fact that Hitler's birthday is 20 April, or in other words 4/20
