if god were called one
immediately we’d have to splinter
to incredible numbers or more
& some would say no
& some claim to have the one
& the one were a jew’s
& the one were a muslim’s
& the one were a christian’s or what
& one is in jenin or haifa
& one is in bagdadteheran
& one is in londonnewyork
& they all believe in some heaven to come
well everybody be welcome
feel at home here on board
you all women of love you all men of peace
I remember that just this you once would be
& painfully keen even then
we’re veterans by now of this endless cruel war
& trenches all through engraved in our souls –
whose war has it been anyway?
if anything at all were to help you & me
were coming to our rescue indeed
so that we’d all have a chance to be free
& nobody’d ever be shunned out be killed
but this would get us the real fair deal
then there would be these questions at first:
what do you do & who is thy master
what do you do & who is thy slave
do you live for any future
or just the spark & the grave
& may this be the real fair deal
do you live for any future
or just the spark & the grave?
& should you be ending up weary
& oh so lonely out there
you had never really heard any call you say
& end up just dying to kill
& one of you in jenin & one of you in haifa
you all believe in some heaven to come
oh jerusalem –
well – right here on earth & all the way to new york
it really is as bloody as can be
I’ve met you down over the times and the places
premonitions I’ve had of this terrible dread
& I wouldn’t spread no details
but I know how you feel
& too much has already been said
but it goes on being done – being done – being done
so we insist that this must stop now
we dare call it murder
to your faces you great nations
not anywhere close to being holy
or in the name of any one god
it’s plain murder what you do
& we insist that this stop
takes a couple to do this takes a whole lot of work
takes a lot cat to muster up the courage & all the rest
since we’ve never been willing to settle too easily
let our enemies use fire and steel
their worst bloody outrage
let this be our challenge – let this be our test
takes a lot cat to muster up the courage & all the rest
but we’re with underdog eternally limited
& it’s always been a job for life –
so are you what you may be claiming
& are you such a real big shot
or are you just a bunch of jive
holy terrorist or just a bunch of jive?
takes a lot cat to muster up the courage & all the rest
if god were called one
we’d just have to splinter
we’d just have to go off to go off to go off
if god were called one
12/2004