Dear God

"Dear God" by Confetti is a satirical yet poignant examination of modern spirituality, hypocrisy, and the feeling of abandonment in a chaotic world. On the surface, it presents itself as a lighthearted, catchy pop song, but lyrically, it delves into heavy existential themes through the lens of a casual, one-sided phone conversation with God.

The central theme is the silence of the divine. The recurring question, "Where'd ya go?", captures a generational sense of spiritual drift. The narrator isn't necessarily an atheist but rather a disillusioned believer or agnostic who feels that if a higher power exists, they have been absent while the world has spiraled into a state of being "fucked up." This reflects a broader societal anxiety about climate change, political instability, and moral decay.

The song deeply criticizes religious hypocrisy. The lyrics draw a sharp contrast between the narrator—who admits to their flaws, such as not recycling or only praying when in need—and the performative piety of those who wear their "Sunday best" but ignore the true tenets of their faith. The line about the world revolving around "money and sex" exposes the materialism that the narrator believes has corrupted religious institutions and holidays, symbolized by the grotesque image of Ms. Claus with "fake tits."

Ultimately, the song is about accountability and helplessness. The narrator acknowledges their own complicity in the world's problems (beefing with science, failing to recycle) but feels overwhelmed by the scale of the issues, leading to the desperate, repeated plea for God to return and fix things. It captures the modern human condition: aware of the problems, cynical about the solutions, and longing for a savior while simultaneously mocking the very idea.

The song opens with a direct, conversational appeal to the divine, framed as a phone call that has gone unanswered. The narrator expresses frustration, not out of anger, but out of a sense of abandonment, bluntly stating that the world has become chaotic and messy, suggesting that God's presence is needed now more than ever.

Reflecting on their own life, the narrator admits to a long silence between them and the creator, acknowledging they have grown up but still feel childlike inside. There is a confession of selfishness—admitting they usually only reach out when they need a favor—but emphasizing that the people around them are in desperate need of a savior. The conversation shifts to a casual check-in, asking if God is "beefing with science," while simultaneously complaining about mundane personal ailments like sinus pressure, which might be a migraine or a symptom of climate change. The narrator ironically undercuts this concern by admitting their own hypocrisy, noting they haven't recycled in days.

The focus then turns to the commercialization of sacred holidays. The narrator observes that Christmas is still celebrated, but cynicism pervades as it is described merely as "big business." A grotesque image of a modernized Santa Claus and a surgically enhanced Ms. Claus highlights how twisted the original stories have become. As time passes without divine intervention, these stories warp further, and people are left counting down days merely for material wishes.

In the final verses, the narrator addresses the criticism they receive for being "insensitive" or using the Lord's name in vain. They counter this by pointing out the greater offense: the secrecy and hypocrisy of those who attend church in their "Sunday best" while knowing the world is actually driven by money and sex. The song concludes with a resignation that the "worst people are the first to forget" and that the ugliness of everyday human behavior is unlikely to change, reiterating the plea for God to "come around more."

"Dear God" was released on September 28, 2018, as one of the early singles for the band Confetti. The project is the brainchild of Jeremy Dussolliet (known as Fetti) and Tim Sommers (known as Conrad), who were previously known as the successful songwriting and production duo Kinetics & One Love. Before forming Confetti, the pair had already achieved significant success in the music industry, most notably writing the chorus for B.o.B's massive hit "Airplanes" and working extensively with artist Melanie Martinez.

Confetti was created as a reaction to the seriousness and constraints of the music industry. After years of writing for others, Dussolliet and Sommers wanted a project where they could be uninhibited. They adopted the personas of a ringmaster (Conrad) and an elephant (Fetti/Peanut) to create a "circus" atmosphere, aiming to "make fun out of the darkness."

The song "Dear God" was born from this ethos. In interviews, the band has stated that the song is intended to be a "casual conversation with God." They wanted to address worldly concerns—politics, environment, and social issues—but strip away the formal, archaic language usually associated with prayer. Instead, they used modern, colloquial language to make the message accessible. The song's creation coincided with a period of global political tension and environmental anxiety, fueling the lyrics about the world being "fucked up." It helped establish the band's signature sound: a juxtaposition of upbeat, radio-friendly pop production with cynical, darker lyrical content.

The song utilizes a mix of pop melodic structures and hip-hop cadences. The verses typically follow AABB or AQAQ rhyme schemes, often using slant rhymes (e.g., "favor" / "savior", "science" / "sinus") to maintain a conversational flow. The use of slant rhyme reinforces the imperfect, casual nature of this "prayer."

Rhythmically, the track is set in a standard 4/4 time signature with a mid-tempo bounce (approximately 90-95 BPM) characteristic of alt-pop. The verses feature a syncopated, staccato delivery that mimics the rhythm of anxious speech, contrasting with the legato, anthemic nature of the chorus. This rhythmic shift helps distinguish the internal monologue of the verses from the external plea of the chorus.

Musical Juxtaposition: The most defining technique in "Dear God" is the stark contrast between the music and the lyrics. The production features a sunny, acoustic guitar riff, a bouncing hip-hop beat, and a catchy, sing-along melody that evokes happiness. However, the lyrics are cynical and pessimistic. This cognitive dissonance mirrors the "smile through the pain" attitude of the modern generation.

Vernacular and Register: The song employs a casual, slang-heavy register (e.g., "dawg," "holla," "beefin'") to address a deity. This bathos—lowering the exalted to the commonplace—creates a satirical effect, making the prayer feel more authentic and desperate than a formal invocation.

Vocal Delivery: The vocals switch between a melodic pop chorus and a rhythmic, rap-sung verse style. This blend allows the artist to deliver dense lyrical content and social commentary quickly (typical of hip-hop) while maintaining a radio-friendly pop appeal.

Irony and Self-Deprecation: The narrator uses irony to shield themselves from criticism. By admitting they are a hypocrite ("haven't recycled") and childish, they preemptively disarm the listener, making their critique of others ("fake ass walking around") feel like an observation from inside the mess rather than a judgment from above.

"Dear God" became one of Confetti's breakout hits, helping to cement their status in the indie-pop and alt-rock scenes. While it did not dominate traditional Billboard charts, it found significant success on streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube, resonating strongly with the Gen Z and Millennial demographics who identify with "doomer" humor and existential dread.

The song has been widely used in User Generated Content (UGC), particularly in gaming communities (like Fortnite montages) and animation memes (such as Undertale fan animations), due to its catchy beat and relatable lyrics. Its legacy lies in its perfect encapsulation of the pre-pandemic and pandemic-era zeitgeist: a feeling of global chaos mixed with a desire for spiritual or authoritative reassurance that never comes. It remains a fan favorite and a staple of the band's "circus" themed live performances.

The lyrics of "Dear God" rely heavily on modern imagery to modernize the concept of prayer and critique society.

• The Phone Call: The central metaphor of the song is prayer as a phone call. By asking "Where'd ya go? You haven't been answering your phone," the song reduces the mystical concept of divine communion to a missed connection, highlighting the feeling of being ghosted by a higher power.
• Sunday's Best vs. Money and Sex: The "Sunday's best" clothing represents performative religion—the outer shell of morality. This is contrasted with "money and sex," which the narrator identifies as the actual gods of the modern world, symbolizing the idolatry of materialism.
• Recycling: The admission, "I haven't recycled in 5 days," serves as a symbol for modern "sin." In a secular world, environmental neglect replaces traditional sins, illustrating how moral goalposts have shifted.
• Ms. Claus's Surgery: The image of Ms. Claus getting "big fake tits" is a grotesque metaphor for the corruption of innocence and tradition by capitalism. It illustrates how even the most wholesome cultural narratives have been twisted by the desire for profit and superficial appeal.
• Sinus Pressure: This represents the physical manifestation of stress and the inability to distinguish between personal pain (a migraine) and global existential threats (climate change), blurring the line between the micro and macro problems of life.

"Dear God, where'd ya go?": This is the central hook and anchor of the song. Its repetition reinforces the theme of abandonment and the persistent silence the narrator faces.

"The world is fucked up": This blunt phrase is repeated in the chorus to justify the narrator's frustration. It serves as the baseline reality of the song—a simple, undeniable fact that motivates the call to God.

"So you should come around more": This refrain shifts the responsibility from humanity to the divine. Instead of asking for forgiveness, the narrator invites God back, suggesting that presence, not just intervention, is what is missing.

"Ooh-na-na-na": This melodic motif serves as a musical bridge, adding a carefree, whistling quality that ironically underscores the serious lyrical themes, enhancing the "smiling while the world burns" vibe.