She Left Me for Jesus by Hayes Carll

Album: Trouble in Mind (2008)

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Songfacts®:

A track from the Texas singer songwriter Hayes Carll's third album, he wrote "She Left Me for Jesus" with the guitarist Brian Keane. The song is about a libertine who loses his girl when she finds religion. At the end of the song, he even threatens to kill Jesus if he ever sees him, as he blames the son of God for stealing his girl.

"It's not aimed at anyone's religion," Carll said in our 2013 interview. "It's aimed at intolerance and poking fun at somebody who calls himself a Christian and yet would beat up Jesus if he walked into a bar right now. That was the idea behind it."
There were a few folks who didn't get the joke in this song, but most people were in on it. "We had a few random threats and I've had people that didn't take it well, that didn't get it," Carll told us. "Jerry Falwell's son, I think, wrote something about it. But I've had countless ministers and rabbis come up to me and say, 'I'm a minister and the song's hilarious to me.'"
In 2008, the Americana Music Association awarded Song of the Year to "She Left Me For Jesus."

Comments: 4

Matt D. from Nyc NyI had a girlfriend who really DID leave me for Jesus... It wasn't funny then, but it is now!
AnonymousCome back when you're a little older, Emma. Hopefully you'll see the humour in the song then.
Dave from OhioFormer seminarian and practicing Christian. This is a brilliant, funny satirical song. I speak from the hear when I say that Jesus is laughing his butt off!
Emma from KsI am a preteen who is very close to god and I very much take offense to this song. You are offending Jesus and you call yourself a minister, you really need to get your act together. I find most of your songs nice and sad and loving but this one surprised me.

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