When the God of Love Returns There'll Be Hell to Pay – English Lyrics

• By: Father John Misty
• Album: Pure Comedy

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical depths of this dramatic piano ballad to explore complex vocabulary related to theology, satire, and the human condition. The song's articulate, literary, and often cynical language will challenge your English comprehension while encouraging you to engage with profound philosophical questions.

[English]

♫ When the god of love returns

♫ There'll hell to pay

♫ Though the world may be out of excuses

♫ I know just what I would say

♫ Let the seven trumpets sound

♫ As the locust sky grows dark

♫ But first let's take you on a quick tour

♫ Of your creation's handiwork

♫ Barely got through the prisons and stores

♫ The pale horse looks a little sick

♫ Says Jesus, you didn't leave a whole lot for me

♫ If this isn't hell already, then tell me what the hell is

♫ We say, it's just human

♫ Human nature

♫ This place is savage and unjust

♫ We crawled out of the darkness

♫ And endured your impatience

♫ We're more than willing to adjust

♫ And now you've got the gall to judge us

♫ The spider spins his web

♫ The tiger stalks his prey

♫ And we steal fire from the heavens

♫ To try to keep the night at bay

♫ Every monster has a code

♫ One that steadies the shaking hand

♫ When he's determined to accrue more capital

♫ By whatever means he can

♫ Oh, it's just human

♫ Human nature

♫ We've got these appetites to serve

♫ You must not know the first thing

♫ About human beings

♫ We're the Earth's most soulful predator

♫ Maybe try something less ambitious

♫ The next time you get bored

♫ Oh my Lord

♫ We just want light in the dark

♫ Some warmth in the cold

♫ And to make something out of nothing

♫ Sounds like someone else I know

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
return /rɪˈtɜːrn/ A1	verb - to come or go back to a place or person
hell /hɛl/ A2	noun - a place of suffering or punishment in the afterlife
excuse /ɪkˈskjuːs/ A2	noun - a reason or explanation given to justify a fault
trumpet /ˈtrʌmpɪt/ A2	noun - a brass musical instrument
locust /ˈləʊkəst/ B1	noun - a type of insect that destroys crops
creation /kriˈeɪʃən/ B1	noun - the act of creating or the thing created
handiwork /ˈhændiwɜːrk/ B2	noun - something made or done by a person
savage /ˈsævɪdʒ/ B1	adjective - fierce, violent, and uncontrolled
adjust /əˈdʒʌst/ B1	verb - to change or alter to fit new conditions
spider /ˈspaɪdər/ A1	noun - an eight-legged arachnid that spins webs
prey /preɪ/ B1	noun - an animal hunted or caught for food
monster /ˈmɒnstər/ A2	noun - a large, ugly, and frightening creature
capital /ˈkæpɪtl/ B1	noun - wealth in the form of money or assets
appetite /ˈæpɪtaɪt/ B1	noun - a strong desire for something
predator /ˈprɛdətər/ B2	noun - an animal that naturally preys on others
ambitious /æmˈbɪʃəs/ B2	adjective - having a strong desire to succeed
warmth /wɔːrmθ/ A2	noun - the quality of being warm
endure /ɪnˈdʊr/ B2	verb - to suffer something difficult patiently
steady /ˈstɛdi/ B1	adjective - firmly fixed or supported
soulful /ˈsoʊlfəl/ C1	adjective - expressing deep feeling or emotion

Key Grammar Structures

• When the god of love returns

  ➔ Present Simple with 'when' for future time clauses

  ➔ The verb 'returns' is in the present simple tense, used with 'when' to refer to a future event.

• Though the world may be out of excuses

  ➔ Subjunctive mood with 'may' for possibility

  ➔ The phrase 'may be' is used in the subjunctive mood to express possibility or uncertainty.

• Let the seven trumpets sound

  ➔ Imperative mood for commands

  ➔ The verb 'let' is in the imperative mood, used to give a command or instruction.

• If this isn't hell already, then tell me what the hell is

  ➔ Conditional sentence (Type 1) with 'if'

  ➔ This is a Type 1 conditional sentence, used to talk about possible situations in the present or future.

• We're the Earth's most soulful predator

  ➔ Superlative adjective with 'most'

  ➔ The word 'most' is used to form the superlative degree of the adjective 'soulful'.

• Maybe try something less ambitious

  ➔ Modal verb 'maybe' for suggestion

  ➔ The word 'maybe' functions as a modal verb here, suggesting a possible action.

• Sounds like someone else I know

  ➔ Present simple with 'sounds like' for comparison

  ➔ The phrase 'sounds like' is used in the present simple tense to make a comparison.