Fauler Zauber [English translation]

[Spoken:]

If you seek him

Call upon him with your wishes

If you bother or even curse him

Believe me, God isn’t with you

I get up, attend to my business

Believe me, I do it day after day

But lately I’ve often wondered

What plagues me deep within my soul

I feel lost, not really in good hands

Maybe something within me has shifted

There are so many fears that extort me

And that eat up my ideal world

I see fanaticism taking hold

We search for one who will heal our world

whether through prayers and pilgrimages

Or bomb attacks with bloody actions

God isn’t what you think he is

God doesn’t do whatever you like

Where does damnation start, where does it stop?

Do I believe in God, or accept hell?

It’s just a feeling that gnaws inside me

Will I be denied paradise in the end?

Can I trust my neighbor1, he looks so different

He doesn’t believe in my God and lives in the same house

For safety, I bought a new lock

And I’m counting on you, that he doesn’t steal from me.

This world has become so crazy and complicated

Constantly plagued by new worries

I need stability and security at last

I need your support, God, give me a sign

God is not what you feel

God does nothing that’s tied to him2

God is not your superstition

God is no cheap trick3

God isn’t what you think he is

God doesn’t do whatever you like

God isn’t what you see in him

God doesn’t do what you command

God is no cheap trick

1. Actually says 'the neighbor' seems likely not talking about a literal person next door but more fellow human being2. I believe this could be interpreted both as 'God does nothing that's associated with his name' and/or 'God does nothing that you force upon him/bind to him'3. literally 'lazy magic/spell' it can be used to reference deceitful mischievous conduct or cheating. Other suggestions were 'monkey business, sideshow, charade, phony'. Cheap Trick seemed to be the best fit for the song's meaning