“Sometimes, I think it’s getting better / And then it gets much worse / Is it just part of the process? / Jesus Christ, it hurts.” Florence Welch, the face and the voice of Florence + The Machine, is no stranger to singing about heartbreak. Furthermore, she’s no stranger to incorporating spirituality into her music. Both intersect on “Big God,” among the elite moments from her 2018 album, High as Hope. “Big God” finds Welch searching for atonement through God and spirituality essentially, to lessen the pain of being dumped.
From the start of this ballad, Welch is depressed – pained to the nth degree – delivering the memorable chorus.
“You need a big god
Big enough to hold your love
You need a big god
Big enough to fill you up.”
Welch’s lover has ‘ghosted’ on her. Even though he’s out of the picture physically, he affects everything that she does and feels. “You keep me up at night / To my messages, you don’t reply,” she sings on the first verse. Later, on the second verse, she petitions Jesus Christ, looking for an out from the heartbreak that’s got her totally out of sync. She wants him, badly, yet, he’s moved on and isn’t giving her a thought. This is unrequited love at its ripest, and the only way to atone – sing about it. For the rest of us, we serve as the members of the ‘amen corner,’ witnessing as we relate to that hurt Welch perfectly captures musically.
You can learn more about Florence + The Machine here:
About The Curator - Brent Faulkner
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype (https://themusicalhype.com). When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event.
