Dad told me once, that mom believed,
that every shooting star we see
is an angel with an answer to a prayer.
(But) somewhere along the way he found,
faith is best kept on the ground.
And not to place your trust somewhere up there...
But tell me what's so bad about believing?
Tell me what about believing is so wrong?
I kind of like the thought... that someone's watching (over)
I kind of like the notion, we are not alone.
But dad says it's just a bedtime story.
That no one's really there to listen when we pray.
But when I look around at all of nature's glory,
I see the fingerprints of God... on every day.
I wonder what's so bad about believing?
Is it wrong to carry faith inside your heart?
Consider if... God walked beside you... (with you)
and everything you did today, he played a part.
Tell me what's so great... about believing?
You could spend your life, just chasing smoke.
Somewhere along the way you'll just be disappointed.
Somewhere along the way you'll find it's all a joke.
Every Sunday morning, you could find your mom, there,
in the little chapel, down beside the glade.
She was strong, she believed and she was faithful.
Up until the day, God took her away.
It didn't matter all the plans that we had made...
All our hopes... and our dreams... had been betrayed.
So TELL ME what's so great about believing?
I believed and it left me all alone.
Chorus
TRUST in the Lord! SEEK and you'll find!
FAITH is the key that unlocks the door!
FAITH! (Lifts you up)
FAITH! (Keeps you down!)
FAITH....!
"What did God ever do to you?"
"What did God ever do FOR you?"
Somewhere in my heart, there's a part believing...
better days are waiting, just around the bend...
Somewhere up above, angels are singing... (girl choir)
One day I could hear my mom's voice again.
Well, it's better son to pick yourself up by your bootstraps!
I've never had a burning bush appear to me...
No band of angels ever worked the lower forty... (not hardly!)
God never paid a banker's note, that I could see.
You're stubborn as an old mule, you never listen!
(oh, really...) Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!
You have made life's misery your mission! ( you don't know?)
(both) I don't think we ever will agree...!
Chorus
TRUST in the Lord! SEEK and you'll find!
FAITH is the key that unlocks the door!
FAITH! (Lifts you up)
FAITH! (Keeps you down!)
FAITH....!
"What did God ever do to you?"
"What did God ever do FOR you?"
I can hear it in the choir when they're singing.
"Why does God allow pain and sorrow?"
See it in the colors of the setting sun...
"Why does he allow war to rage?"
Imagine what it must be like in heaven!
"Always fearing what comes tomorrow."
I've heard it said that tears never come.
"Why did he take her away."
"I'll tell you what's so hard about believing!"
I can see him everywhere...
"When you need God most, he isn't near..."
He is with us in the fields.
"If he's there, he doesn't seem to listen."
Just an old man, bitter in your ways!
"And then he takes the ones that we hold dear"
Ah, that's ridiculous!
"Then it's your fault your mom's no longer here!"
What's So Bad About Believing
What's So Bad About Believing Song Meaning, Biblical Reference and Inspiration
Mark Bishop's song "What's So Bad About Believing," released with a video on August 31, 2023, delves into the profound and often challenging conversation surrounding faith, doubt, and the human experience of loss and questioning. The lyrics present a clear dialogue or internal debate between two contrasting perspectives: one that holds onto belief in the unseen, finding comfort and meaning in the notion of a higher power and spiritual presence, and another that has been shaped by hardship and disappointment, leading to skepticism and pragmatism. This dynamic captures the universal struggle many face when reconciling faith with the realities of life.
The song opens with the perspective of belief, drawing on a mother's simple faith in shooting stars as answers to prayer and finding solace in the idea that someone is watching over us and we are not alone. This view sees the grandeur of nature as undeniable evidence of God's involvement, describing it as seeing "the fingerprints of God... on every day." It ponders the beauty and potential comfort of living with the awareness of God's presence in daily life. This side asks pointedly, "What's so bad about believing?" and "Is it wrong to carry faith inside your heart?"
In sharp contrast, the skeptical voice grounds faith in reality, dismissing it as a "bedtime story" and warning that placing trust "somewhere up there" is misguided. This perspective is deeply scarred by the experience of losing a loved one—a mother who was faithful and strong "Up until the day, God took her away." This loss shattered plans, betrayed hopes and dreams, and led to feeling utterly alone. From this viewpoint, faith becomes merely "chasing smoke," something that inevitably leads to disappointment and is ultimately perceived as "all a joke." It directly challenges the value of belief by asking, "what's so great... about believing?"
The song further explores this tension by incorporating a chorus that echoes traditional declarations of faith ("TRUST in the Lord! SEEK and you'll find! FAITH is the key that unlocks the door!") but immediately juxtaposes them with conflicting statements about faith's effect ("FAITH! (Lifts you up) FAITH! (Keeps you down!)") and searing questions directed at God's actions ("What did God ever do to you?" "What did God ever do FOR you?"). This structure highlights the confusion and pain that arise when deeply held beliefs are tested by painful experiences.
The lyrics also give voice to the challenging questions about suffering that often accompany doubt: "Why does God allow pain and sorrow?", "Why does he allow war?", and particularly the raw question, "Why did he take her away?" The skeptical perspective expresses feeling abandoned ("When you need God most, he isn't near") and unheard ("If he's there, he doesn't seem to listen"). It dismisses the idea of divine intervention, preferring self-reliance ("better son to pick yourself up by your bootstraps") and seeing no evidence of God's help in practical matters. The song acknowledges the inherited nature of this struggle, noting the shared stubbornness between the questioning individual and the more pragmatic parent figure. Despite the profound doubt and pain expressed, a thread of hope persists, even in the skeptical heart, for "better days are waiting." The believing side holds onto the hope of a spiritual realm and future reunion.
Ultimately, Mark Bishop's song "What's So Bad About Believing" does not offer simple answers but rather presents an honest and moving portrayal of the complex journey of faith. It acknowledges the beauty and comfort belief can offer while grappling directly with the pain, doubt, and difficult questions that arise from suffering and loss. By laying bare this internal and interpersonal conflict, the song resonates with anyone who has questioned their faith or struggled to understand the ways of God in a world marked by both glory and sorrow, illustrating that the search for meaning often involves holding hope and doubt in tension.
