On his journey toward love, Teddy Swims walks a tightrope of his own design.
On one end is heartbreak and the painful reminders of his failed relationships. On the other end, Swims can almost grasp what it’s like to fall in love. But if we’re going by the lyrics from this song alone, it’s a bit unclear how Swims arrived in this position.
Across his ever-expanding album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Parts 1 and 2), Swims’ romantic escapades are often nameless, faceless encounters with women and hopeful dreams of lasting love.
With the third and final installment of this album set to land June 27, 2025, Swims dropped “God Went Crazy” which positions God at the center of his latest relationship.
As Swims croons about his latest romance in his characteristic blend of soulful heart and honey-glazed lyrics, he’s still suspended on the tightrope between pain and satisfaction. He’s looking for something or someone to help him take the right next step.
Enter the woman God created for Teddy. In Swims’ own words, God “went crazy” when making her. The chorus tells us, “God went crazy when He painted you/Ain’t seen nothing like this before/Took a little extra time on you/Before he let you walk out the door.” Swims rightly recognizes God as the Creator of beauty here, though we’ll return to that idea in below and look at it from another perspective.
Swims concludes that they’re meant for each other and goes as far to say he’s been praying for this woman as he sings, “Yeah, I’m made for you/I prayed for you.”
In this simply worded song, Swims repeats a handful of lines to reveal his dedication to his latest relationship. He sings, “You got that smile, babe/You got that subtle Mona Lisa/Drive me wild babe/I’d give it all up just to keep you by my side, babe.”
For all of the positive (or at least neutral) comments Swims makes about his new love, he focuses strictly on this woman’s superficial features. Swims doesn’t describe this woman’s inner character or beauty beneath the surface, but merely how attractive she is physically.
Swims also suggests that the reason for his good fortune is not exclusively from God but because he, “Must’ve done something good in another life.”
On the surface, Teddy Swims has crafted another catchy ballad focused on the romantic entrance of a loving woman into his life. He clearly identifies God as the true creator of physical beauty in a loving relationship. That perspective, as far as it goes, reflects a certain degree of truth.
Still, while there’s nothing explicit or toxic in this solo track from Swims, it’s only part of the story. One potential concern here stems from that fact that Swims focuses only on the surface-level aspects of the woman he sings about. Sure, he may be able to recognize that God (in Teddy’s words) “painted her” beautiful and exclusively for him. But the qualities he fixates on never go beyond what’s on the outside.
Relative to far more sexually tinged lyrics in many other pop songs these days, “God Went Crazy” feels pretty innocent. It gives God credit as both a Creator and sovereign matchmaker. Still, parents will want to help younger fans of Teddy Swims keep the song’s superficial focus on appearance as the foundation of “love” in mind, too, before they go too “crazy” putting this song on their playlists.
Jackson Greer is a High School English Teacher in the suburbs of Texas. He lives in Coppell, Texas with his wife, Clara. They love debating whether or not to get another cat and reading poetry together. Also, he is a former employee of Focus on the Family’s Parenting Department.
