The Harry Styles song "Sign of the Times" appears throughout God's Favorite Idiot, but what is the meaning of its inclusion in the hit Netflix sitcom?
In God’s Favorite Idiot, the Harry Styles song “Sign of the Times” seems to follow Clark everywhere, and there is a reason for this bizarre choice. The latest in a string of collaborations between Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone, Netflix’s God’s Favorite Idiot is a workplace sitcom with a twist. Specifically, the high-concept spin on the well-loved genre follows Clark, a mild-mannered office worker, as he is chosen to be God’s next messenger on earth.
Despite how wild this premise is — not to mention the presence of Satan and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse on the show — God’s Favorite Idiot has mostly garnered praise in audience reviews for its sitcom shenanigans. However, Satan, God, and the impending apocalypse do play a pretty big role in the plot of the Netflix hit, even if they sometimes get less screen time than the antics of Clark’s co-workers. To underline the show’s themes, God’s Favorite Idiot often cues up a popular Harry Styles hit on its soundtrack.
The song “Sign of the Times” seemingly follows Clark wherever he goes throughout God’s Favorite Idiot season 1 and the significance of the track’s role on the show becomes clearer with each appearance. The rest of the soundtrack to God’s Favorite Idiot also functions as a way of foreshadowing the show’s twists and re-affirming its themes, as proven by a look back on the role that “Sign of the Times” and other songs play in the show’s story. This requires a thorough run-down of how the Harry Styles song crops up throughout the plot of God’s Favorite Idiot.
When “Sign of the Times” Plays In God’s Favorite Idiot
When God’s Favorite Idiot begins, Clark is listening to “Sign of the Times” on vinyl. Shortly after this, the plot begins in earnest when he is struck by lightning — the show’s inciting incident. Like Falcone and McCarthy’s superhero spoof Thunder Force, God’s Favorite Idiot gives its hero strange powers after this event, prompting the next appearance of the Harry Styles track. As Clark is driving to work, he accidentally zaps the radio on, and “Sign of the Times” happens to be playing when he does. Later again, when Clark is unsure whether to ask Amily (McCarthy) on a date, the song plays once again in their workplace’s break room. At the time, the duo both assume that this is a coincidence caused by a malfunctioning Alexa. This leads to the question of whether the seemingly unaware Clark is causing these incidents or if they are being done to him by a higher power.
Why “Sign of the Times” Plays When Clark Glows
The pivotal appearance of the Harry Style song comes when “Sign of the Times” plays during Amily and Clark’s first date. Falcone and McCarthy’s awkward romantic chemistry is interrupted when Clark rambles to their waitress while Amily begins to develop feelings for him. At this point, the hero of God’s Favorite Idiot starts to glow as the track plays. This unexplained, seemingly miraculous incident soon goes viral and, in episode 2, Clark’s mismatched bunch of co-workers start brainstorming ideas for what caused Clark’s strange glow the night before. While various theories are offered up, it is not until Wendy (Ana Scotney) stumbles upon a Bible passage (Matthew 5:14-16) that the song plays again, this time via an Amazon Alexa, as Clark starts reciting the passage. This is the last time that “Sign of the Times” plays until the final episode’s closing credits. However, it is not the last time that the soundtrack of God’s Favorite Idiot is used to hint at upcoming plot twists.
God’s Favorite Idiot’s Soundtrack Explains Its Plot
In episode 4 of the Melissa McCarthy-led series, Clark finally cracks and concedes that the pressure is getting to him and it is all too much. As he does, Rush’s song “Tom Sawyer” starts playing while Clark runs away to the bathroom. It is there that he first meets God, but that is not the first time that the band’s music appears in God’s Favorite Idiot. In episode 1, Amily is introduced to the sound of Rush’s “The Temples Of Syrinx,” affirming the idea that Clark’s powers didn’t decide what music played at all. Instead, the needle drops and their strikingly appropriate thematic connections to Clark’s life are evidence that God is valiantly trying to steer him toward the right path without revealing herself too early since he is so overwhelmed by the apocalyptic chaos around him. To this end, “Sign of the Times” function like a song from a musical, with the lyrics directly referencing the show’s oncoming apocalypse via lines about an impending “final show,” warning the listener that they can’t “bribe the door on your way to the sky.”
The obvious religious implications of the track allow God to talk to Clark without actually directly addressing him yet, an idea that is reaffirmed when God speaks to Clark and tells him to “ask your girlfriend” if he is struggling with what to do next. This line hints that the Rush song playing during Amily’s introduction is a nudge from God, telling an overwhelmed Clark that would need to rely on Amily. The next time Rush plays, Clark instead opts to bail on everyone, prompting God to finally reveal herself in person in the bathroom instead of relying on indirect hints and implications in the Netflix hit.
The Real Meaning Of “Sign of the Times” In God’s Favorite Idiot
In the final seconds of God’s Favorite Idiot’s cliffhanger-ending season 1 finale, the show confirms the meaning of its many soundtrack choices. Amily and Clark worry about what will happen next, not knowing if their angel friend and God are alright. When Clark declares that God would not leave them to handle Satan alone, the Mamas and the Papas' version of “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” begins to play much like “Sign of the Times” does in the show’s pilot. Amily says the Mamas and the Papas are her favorite band besides Rush before the pair hold hands and she tells Clark she loves him. Thus, in the absence of God, Amily and Clark find comfort in their love, while the song nudging them toward admitting their feelings proves that, throughout God’s Favorite Idiot season 1, God helps Clark along his path with occasional musical hints. As such, even though she’s not physically present in the finale, the God of God’sFavorite Idiot is still guiding the duo from the heavens.
Related Topics About The Author
Recommended Articles
ncG1vNJzZmirk6eyprrRmqWtZpOkunCzzp2qZp6Rq7yztdOeZKKcmaTBbrTAq6myZaOpxq2x0maqqKaXYsCqs81mq6Kllah8