‘Dear God’: The violent protests triggered by XTC’s controversial single
“If you can’t have a different opinion without [people] wanting to firebomb your house, then that’s their problem.” – Andy Partridge, XTC
From the unsuspecting Wiltshire town of Swindon emerged a titan of leftfield pop music in the early 1970s. Although XTC was formed in 1972, it wasn’t until 1979 that they made their first significant discographic dent with the ska-infused classic ‘Making Plans for Nigel’. The song was undoubtedly a product steeped in the contemporary punk wave, but XTC sought distinction from the madding crowd.
Through the early 1980s, XTC consolidated firm stature as a unique force of the so-called new wave with a steady stream of innovative music, all the while keeping abreast of radio rapport with accessible singles like ‘Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)’ and ‘Senses Working Overtime’. For this highly influential package, we have frontmen Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding to thank.
Politically pertinent themes are present throughout much of the XTC catalogue. Partridge and Moulding’s fearless approach to composition was often reflected in their provocative lyricism. Learned fans, or even those who paid attention to the title, will know where this is heading.
In August 1986, XTC caused a stir with their popular non-album single ‘Dear God’, the ripples of which grew particularly violent to the west of the Atlantic. Stripped back and driven by a sultry acoustic progression, the song was a deviation from the band’s associative new wave sound, but this wasn’t the chief quandary. Instead, it was the song’s sceptical appraisal of religion that ruffled the most feathers.
At the heart of the controversy surrounding ‘Dear God’ was its candid critique of organised religion and a resonant portrayal of a faith crisis. The satirical yet poignant lyrics, penned by Partridge, questioned the existence of God before the backdrop of human suffering and injustice. Lines like “Did you make mankind after we made you?” and “I can’t believe in you” incensed theists among listeners at odds with deeply rooted belief systems.
Naturally, an incendiary and polarised reaction swept the Western world, with impassioned support on one side of the coin and vehement opposition on the other. “All press is good press,” Partridge and Moulding might have chuckled at the time. Still, the song incited a firestorm among religious groups that reached a fever pitch in the United States’ more God-fearing regions.
In Florida, a Panama City radio station received a bomb threat for airing the song during the height of hysteria. Meanwhile, on the coin’s flipside, a student at Binghamton High School, New York, held a staff member at knifepoint, forcing them to play ‘Dear God’ over the public address system. As this snowball gained mass and momentum, several stations in the US and UK banned the song from airtime, and some shops refused to stock the single.
Meanwhile, Partridge, who intended to include the single on the October 1986 album Skylarking, was pressurised to omit it. The Virgin A&R executive Jeremy Lascelles was allegedly concerned about the album’s length but also advised Partridge that the song would alienate US listeners. “I reluctantly agreed because I thought I hadn’t written a strong enough take on religion. I thought I’d kind of failed,” Partridge admitted in a Twitter thread in 2016.
Speaking to Todd Bernhardt in 2006, Partridge revealed how the hysteria affected him personally. “I got all the hate mail and the booklets,” he said. “Somebody sent me one of those books called – and I’ve still got it because I thought the title of it was fantastic – You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth. And I thought, ‘Wow!'”
“I really felt sorry for the people who got so upset at someone expressing an opinion that might be contrary to their beliefs or at who might have another take on their beliefs,” Partridge added. “How could that make them so violent, potentially?”
Despite, or perhaps because of, the controversy it generated, ‘Dear God’ remains one of XTC’s most enduring and impactful hits. Nearly four decades on, in a time where religious engagement is reaching a low ebb in the Western world, the song continues to resonate with young minds navigating existential minefields and establishing personal philosophies.
Listen to XTC’s ‘Dear God’ below.
