Seite - 9 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Band 06/02

“You Need a Big God” | 9www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/2, 7–20 “You need a big god, big enough to hold your love”, laments Florence Welch, the unveiled woman, singer in the British indie rock band Florence + The Machine, and then adds, “You need a big god, big enough to fill you up”.1 And while her voice still modulates the “up”, she takes several deep breaths and opens her arms, as if to signal physically her willingness to receive what- ever comes (fig. 3). The Polysemy of Feeling Ghosted, or the Context Produces Meaning Florence Welch stated in an interview that the song “Big God” was inspired by the fact that she had been ghosted, that her (text) messages to someone she liked had gone entirely unanswered.2 “To be ghosted” is a relatively new term, used in relation to social media interactions to describe being ignored by someone loved or well-liked. As the title of the song and the video make 1 “Big God” is a song from the album High as Hope by Florence + The Machine (GB/US 2018, Virgin EMI; Republic). The lyrics of “Big God” can be read while watching the music video on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kIrRooQwuk [accessed 12 August 2020]. 2 See Ryzik 2018; Melena Ryzik’s interview with Florence Welch. Fig. 3: What do the women receive? Music video still from Big God, Florence + The Machine, 00:00:46.