What Was Brandi Carlile Reciting on ‘SNL’? How Thomas Jefferson’s Proclamation About Separating ‘Church & State’ Made It Into a Blazing Rock Song

This weekend's "Saturday Night Live" broke from its typical musical mold by featuring a raw rock performance that climaxed with a spoken-word piece. Brandi Carlile, during her song "Church & State," opted to recite a section from Thomas Jefferson's 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists in place of a conventional guitar solo. The letter, which famously establishes the "wall of separation between Church and State" as a bedrock principle of American religious liberty, was delivered with such fervor that its historical words took on the force of a contemporary protest.

Carlile, a nine-time Grammy Award recipient celebrated for her folk-rock catalog, typically avoids overt political statements, making this moment particularly striking. By invoking Jefferson's foundational text, she transformed the track into a powerful commentary on modern secular governance. Her own lyrics, referencing "ivory towers" and a "failing empire," root the song firmly in the present. Dr. Eleanor Vance, a cultural historian, remarked, "While the practice of using historical documents to critique the present isn't new, Carlile's selection feels exceptionally timely amid ongoing national debates about the role of religion in public life."

The origins of "Church & State" are deeply personal and politically charged. In a recent Variety interview discussing her new album "Returning to Myself," Carlile revealed the song was conceived on Election Night 2024. She was in the studio with producer Andrew Watt and longtime collaborators Phil and Tim Hanseroth, glued to the news. "I was confronting a new reality about my country," she remembered. Inspired by U2's politically charged anthem "Bullet the Blue Sky," she channeled her "collected rage" from earlier years, resulting in a "burning, searing song" crafted that very night. It was in this heated context that the decision to substitute a guitar passage with a reading from the First Amendment's foundational context was made.

Carlile, who explores her personal beliefs in her bestselling memoir "Broken Horses," explained the deep resonance of Jefferson's letter. As the lyrics developed, she found herself continually drawn to the "wisdom of that address." She sees the document as a crucial safeguard for religious diversity, stating plainly, "We are not a theocracy, and we cannot govern people based on a singular interpretation of opaque scripture." Drawing from her own faith, she added, "Even Jesus advised to 'Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's,' highlighting a clear separation between spiritual and earthly authority."

The song's pronounced U2 influence, immediately apparent to many listeners, is a heartfelt homage. Carlile traces this back to her teenage years, citing "The Joshua Tree"—U2's landmark 1987 album that tackled social and political themes in America—as a perennial favorite. "I once entered a contest as Bono when I was 15, singing 'Running to Stand Still,'" she shared. "I had the sunglasses, the knee-drop, and I already sported the same lesbian haircut he had at the time, so it was a natural fit." The musical backbone came from an old riff sent by Tim Hanseroth, which was resurrected on election night. Watt's production, suggesting distinct guitar and bass lines, pushed the sound into U2's iconic sonic landscape, while Matt Chamberlain's powerful, driving drumbeat provided a relentless, aerobic intensity.

Despite its genesis in anger, the song ultimately offers a message of hope. On an album that frequently contemplates mortality, Carlile finds optimism in the inevitable fall of failing leaders, singing, "They’re not gonna live forever… We’ll find a way." For her second performance on the Miles Teller-hosted episode, she shifted to a more subdued tone with "Human," a track written the night before the 2024 election that captures the palpable anxiety of that moment. This appearance marked her second time as an "SNL" musical guest in 2025, having previously performed with the legendary Elton John to promote their joint album, "Who Believes in Angels?"