if god were called one
immediately we’d have to splinter
to incredible numbers or more
and some would say no
and some claim to have the one
and the one were a jew’s
and the one were a muslim’s
and the one were a christian’s or what
and one is in jenin or haifa
and one is in bagdadteheran
and one is in londonnewyork
n’they all believe in some heaven to come
well everybody be welcome feel at home here on board

ye’all women of love ye’all men of peace
I remember you just this once would be
and painfully keen even then
we’re veterans by now of this endless cruel war
and 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
and 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 and who is thy master
what do you do and who is thy slave
do you live for any future
or just the spark and the grave
n’ may this be the real fair deal
do you live for any future
or just the spark and the grave?

and should you be ending up weary
and oh so lonely out there
you had never really heard any call you say
and end up just dying to kill

and one is in jenin and one is in haifa
they all believe in some heaven to come oh Jerusalem –
well – right here on earth n’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
and I wouldn’t spread no details
but I know how you feel
and 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
nowhere close to being holy
or in the name of any one god
it’s plain murder what you do
and 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 n’all the rest
since we’ve never been willing to settle too easily
let my enemies use fire and steel
their worst bloody outrage
let this be my challenge – let this be my test
takes a lot cat to muster up the courage an’ all the rest

but we’re with underdog eternally limited
n’it’s always been a job for life –
so are you what you may be claiming
n’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 n’ 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