Here’s how it goes / I think you know
It started fast / but wound up slow
The Lord gave man / just one command
Before long things / got out of hand
That’s how it played / that’s how it stayed
A stacked deck from the start
A tree of life / eternal strife
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
The years went by / the questions why
All still remain / through all the pain
And to this day / no one can say
What the price is / we have to pay
Some say it’s hell / because we fell
Right from the very start
Yes, man and wife / got banned for life
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
Right from day one / under the gun
Better to never see the sun
Stuck on this rock / watching the clock
Tic toc, tic toc / tic toc, tic toc
Until we die / still don’t know why
Everything fell apart
For just one bite / they say its right
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
From sea to sea / just mystery
No answers far / as eyes can see
A happy face / a chance at grace
Dangled above the human race
If we just pray / that’s what they say
Oh, what a work of art
These holy men / say it again
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
The preachers say / there is a way
To be redeemed / and here’s the scheme
Admit your scum / deaf, blind, and dumb
And beg Him for / a tiny crumb
Of mercy for / breaking the law
You might get a new start
If your elect / not a reject
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
He got a nice house / And he plays the sax
And he’s got nice friends / And he don’t pay tax
He got a good gig / He got a flock of sheep
He got their bread to eat / He got their souls to keep
Life of a preacherman, it ain’t that hard
Just a middleman between us and God
Got a brand new car, got a real nice trust
And a seat in heaven when he bites the dust
He got a good flock / And they keep him fed
His job’s to tell them / What the Lord hath said
And he lifts his voice / To make sure he’s heard
And the people hang / On his every word
Life of a preacherman, it ain’t that hard
Just a middleman between us and God
Got a heart of gold and a brand new van
And a seat in heaven when he kicks the can
He got flasks of oil / And he’s got minions
And he gets paid well / For his opinions
He can talk all day / And no one can say
If he’s right or wrong / Or he took too long
Life of a preacherman, it ain’t that hard
Just a middleman between us and God
Got a brand new car, and a real long arm
And a seat in heaven when he buys the farm
He got hair like wool / And a voice like silk
He got eyes life fire / He got teeth like milk
All his steps are sure / and his words are pure
And he feeds the rich / and he bleeds the poor (chorus 1)
Sally was out playing in her front yard
A man was watching her and watching hard
He said, “I’ve got a gift for you in this sack.”
Sally said, “Well, golly, I don’t know.”
The man said, “Come on, Sally, let’s just go.”
So, she went with him / And she never came back
When I heard about that I felt ill / Oh, what a failure of free will
Oh, why did that poor girl / decide to go?
I know she was just a kid / But no-one made her do what she did
She should have used her free will – and just said no
Julie had been married for sixteen years / But her whole marriage was a veil of tears
Every day she got beat up from pillar to post / Then one day she couldn’t take no more
She lit a match a locked the front door / Watched her life burn down
And disappeared like a ghost
When I heard about that I felt ill / Oh, what a failure of free will
Oh, why did that poor girl / stay with that jerk?
The whole thing was just wrong, wrong, wrong / But no-one made her stay so long / She could have used her free will – it might have worked
Adam was out in the garden one day / When the serpent came over to say,
“Adam, did you see the apple in that tree?”
Adam said, “Well, serpent, I don't know.”
Serpent said, “Come on, Adam, just let go.”
So, he took one bite / Then he took another three
When I think about that I feel ill / Oh, what a failure of free will
Oh, why did that poor man / eat from that tree? / I know he was just a kid
But no-one made him do what he did / if he had used his free will -- we’d still be free
Here’s how it goes / I think you know
It started fast / but wound up slow
The Lord gave man / just one command
Before long things / got out of hand
That’s how it played / that’s how it stayed
A stacked deck from the start
A tree of life / eternal strife
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
The years went by / the questions why
All still remain / through all the pain
And to this day / no one can say
What the price is / we have to pay
Some say it’s hell / because we fell
Right from the very start
Yes, man and wife / got banned for life
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
Right from day one / under the gun
Better to never see the sun
Stuck on this rock / watching the clock
Tic toc, tic toc / tic toc, tic toc
Until we die / still don’t know why
Everything fell apart
For just one bite / they say its right
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
From sea to sea / just mystery
No answers far / as eyes can see
A happy face / a chance at grace
Dangled above the human race
If we just pray / that’s what they say
Oh, what a work of art
These holy men / say it again
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
The preachers say / there is a way
To be redeemed / and here’s the scheme
Admit your scum / deaf, blind, and dumb
And beg Him for / a tiny crumb
Of mercy for / breaking the law
You might get a new start
If your elect / not a reject
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
He got a nice house / And he plays the sax
And he’s got nice friends / And he don’t pay tax
He got a good gig / He got a flock of sheep
He got their bread to eat / He got their souls to keep
Life of a preacherman, it ain’t that hard
Just a middleman between us and God
Got a brand new car, got a real nice trust
And a seat in heaven when he bites the dust
He got a good flock / And they keep him fed
His job’s to tell them / What the Lord hath said
And he lifts his voice / To make sure he’s heard
And the people hang / On his every word
Life of a preacherman, it ain’t that hard
Just a middleman between us and God
Got a heart of gold and a brand new van
And a seat in heaven when he kicks the can
He got flasks of oil / And he’s got minions
And he gets paid well / For his opinions
He can talk all day / And no one can say
If he’s right or wrong / Or he took too long
Life of a preacherman, it ain’t that hard
Just a middleman between us and God
Got a brand new car, and a real long arm
And a seat in heaven when he buys the farm
He got hair like wool / And a voice like silk
He got eyes life fire / He got teeth like milk
All his steps are sure / and his words are pure
And he feeds the rich / and he bleeds the poor (chorus 1)
Sally was out playing in her front yard
A man was watching her and watching hard
He said, “I’ve got a gift for you in this sack.”
Sally said, “Well, golly, I don’t know.”
The man said, “Come on, Sally, let’s just go.”
So, she went with him / And she never came back
When I heard about that I felt ill / Oh, what a failure of free will
Oh, why did that poor girl / decide to go?
I know she was just a kid / But no-one made her do what she did
She should have used her free will – and just said no
Julie had been married for sixteen years / But her whole marriage was a veil of tears
Every day she got beat up from pillar to post / Then one day she couldn’t take no more
She lit a match a locked the front door / Watched her life burn down
And disappeared like a ghost
When I heard about that I felt ill / Oh, what a failure of free will
Oh, why did that poor girl / stay with that jerk?
The whole thing was just wrong, wrong, wrong / But no-one made her stay so long / She could have used her free will – it might have worked
Adam was out in the garden one day / When the serpent came over to say,
“Adam, did you see the apple in that tree?”
Adam said, “Well, serpent, I don't know.”
Serpent said, “Come on, Adam, just let go.”
So, he took one bite / Then he took another three
When I think about that I feel ill / Oh, what a failure of free will
Oh, why did that poor man / eat from that tree? / I know he was just a kid
But no-one made him do what he did / if he had used his free will -- we’d still be free
Preacher stood before the people
With a bible in his hand
Said, “From the instant of conception
Every single soul is damned.”
Then he went home to his lady
She was waiting in their room
He said, “Let’s make a baby.”
And went into her womb
Chorus
Pay it forward, original sin
From kin to kin to kin to kin
Making babies for hell
Wretched and sick and scarred
From the moment of conception
Another sin-ridden confection
Another burnt offering to God
Adam had just been sentenced
It was not a pretty sight
From that point on his whole life would be
A never-ending fight
So, he went home to his lady
She was standing in the rain
He said, “Let’s make a baby.”
And they had themselves a Cain (chorus)
Bridge
If you believe what you believe
Why do you dare to conceive?
Are you a sadist or just a fool?
Do to others as you’d have
Them do to you, man, I learned that
All the way back when I was in grade school (chorus)
They say good things come to those who wait
They say that love always conquers hate
They say no one is a slave to fate
Yes, that’s what they say
They say people get what they deserve
When I hear those words it hits a nerve
If I’m in a car, I have to swerve
I can’t believe they say that
(chorus)
I’ve heard them say it
I’ve heard them play it
Sometimes I’ve even seen them pray it
So, don’t believe everything you hear
I’ve heard them tell it
I’ve heard them yell it
I’ve even seen them try to sell it
When they say that, I can’t believe my ears
They say no one gets too much to bear
And there’s no such thing as unanswered prayer
And the universe always plays fair
Yes, that’s what they say
They say we all get what we put out
And that’s what the game is all about
When I hear that I want to shout
I can’t believe you said that (chorus)
They say that we reap just what we sow
Yes, they say some things ain’t ours to know
God’s ways are high and man’s ways are low
Yes, that’s what they say
Well, I used to say all will be well
It gets cleared up at the final bell
When I think back now, well truth to tell
I can’t believe I said that (chorus)
NO ONE CRIED
Charlie staggered down the alley
Sucking on a pint of gin
He leaned his back up against the wall
As the earth began to spin
Then he slunk down slowly to the ground
And breathed his final breath
He died alone, thin as a bone
And no one mourned his death
No one cried when Charlie died / Looking like a ruptured duck
When he dropped dead the angels said / Someone call a garbage truck
Sally looked up at her captor
He was wearing a great big grin
How she begged and begged for mercy
But no one was listening
Then he lowered her into the ground
And counted up to five
Smiled down at that little girl
Then buried her alive
No one cried when Sally died / It’s true, nobody did
When she got poked the angels joked / Hey, does hell take little kids?
Chico snuck in past the border / looking for a place to land
Tailed by the cops he came to a stop / In the Arizona sand
Then he kneeled down slowly to the ground / as the cops closed in fast
He sank into the dry hot sand / cops watched as he breathed his last
No cried when Chico died / looking like a broken stick
When Chico passed the angels laughed / someone cover up that spic
Mary cried when Jesus died / All the apostles too
We should all get the same sendoff / Chico, Charlie, Sally, and me and you
I still remember the prayer I would say
On my knees at the end of the day
Lord, I’m a sinner, I’m garbage, I’m scum
A pile of puke, I’m blind, deaf, and dumb
But Lord, if I’m blind, who closed my eyes?
And if I’m cut off, then who cut my ties?
Just say the word and I will be new
And if you won’t, well then shame on you (chorus)
Chorus
This is my sinner’s prayer
I hope you think it’s fair
Take it or leave it, at least I believe it
This is my sinner’s prayer
I never said that I was the man
I can only do the best that I can
If I’m that bad, then just blot me out
Don’t ask me to beg, what’s that all about?
I am who I am ‘cause you made me that way
I play my part, but You wrote the play
Just say the word and all will be good
Don’t say that you can’t ‘cause I know you could (chorus)
Are you still up there, do you still care?
If you do then please her my one final prayer
A prayer for the gentile a prayer for the jew
A prayer for the many, a prayer for the few
A prayer for the chosen and all of the rest
A prayer for the worst a prayer for the best
For all that share in the curse of the fall
A prayer for freedom for one and for all (Chorus)
They say that sin is a mystery / It was not in God’s plan
He wanted only purity / For woman and for man
But somehow evil, it crept in / Although God made man pure
God did not want to let sin in / It came through the back door
Mystery of mysteries
How a perfect man can sin
With such amazing mysteries
How can us poor souls win?
They say Satan is a mystery / He was not in God’s plan
He wanted only purity / From His angelic clan
But somehow evil, it crept in / ‘Though God made Satan good
Yes, God made Satan prone to sin / But didn’t know he would
Mystery of mysteries
How the purest angels sin
With such amazing mysteries
How can us poor souls win?
The atonement is a mystery / God cleaned away the dross
Every sin on every soul / Was vanquished by the cross
But somehow evil, it remains / An everlasting sore
Paid for and yet unatoned / Punished forevermore
Mystery of mysteries
Everlasting atoned sin
With such amazing mysteries
How can us poor souls win?
They say that God’s a mystery / He’s love and yet He hates
He wants us to be his, then leaves / us at the devil’s gates
Mystery of mysteries / A place of eternal sin
With such amazing mysteries / How can us poor souls win?
Here’s how it goes / I think you know
It started fast / but wound up slow
The Lord gave man / just one command
Before long things / got out of hand
That’s how it played / that’s how it stayed
A stacked deck from the start
A tree of life / eternal strife
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
The years went by / the questions why
All still remain / through all the pain
And to this day / no one can say
What the price is / we have to pay
Some say it’s hell / because we fell
Right from the very start
Yes, man and wife / got banned for life
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
Right from day one / under the gun
Better to never see the sun
Stuck on this rock / watching the clock
Tic toc, tic toc / tic toc, tic toc
Until we die / still don’t know why
Everything fell apart
For just one bite / they say its right
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
From sea to sea / just mystery
No answers far / as eyes can see
A happy face / a chance at grace
Dangled above the human race
If we just pray / that’s what they say
Oh, what a work of art
These holy men / say it again
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
The preachers say / there is a way
To be redeemed / and here’s the scheme
Admit your scum / deaf, blind, and dumb
And beg Him for / a tiny crumb
Of mercy for / breaking the law
You might get a new start
If your elect / not a reject
Religion ain’t for the faint of heart
He got a nice house / And he plays the sax
And he’s got nice friends / And he don’t pay tax
He got a good gig / He got a flock of sheep
He got their bread to eat / He got their souls to keep
Life of a preacherman, it ain’t that hard
Just a middleman between us and God
Got a brand new car, got a real nice trust
And a seat in heaven when he bites the dust
He got a good flock / And they keep him fed
His job’s to tell them / What the Lord hath said
And he lifts his voice / To make sure he’s heard
And the people hang / On his every word
Life of a preacherman, it ain’t that hard
Just a middleman between us and God
Got a heart of gold and a brand new van
And a seat in heaven when he kicks the can
He got flasks of oil / And he’s got minions
And he gets paid well / For his opinions
He can talk all day / And no one can say
If he’s right or wrong / Or he took too long
Life of a preacherman, it ain’t that hard
Just a middleman between us and God
Got a brand new car, and a real long arm
And a seat in heaven when he buys the farm
He got hair like wool / And a voice like silk
He got eyes life fire / He got teeth like milk
All his steps are sure / and his words are pure
And he feeds the rich / and he bleeds the poor (chorus 1)
Sally was out playing in her front yard
A man was watching her and watching hard
He said, “I’ve got a gift for you in this sack.”
Sally said, “Well, golly, I don’t know.”
The man said, “Come on, Sally, let’s just go.”
So, she went with him / And she never came back
When I heard about that I felt ill / Oh, what a failure of free will
Oh, why did that poor girl / decide to go?
I know she was just a kid / But no-one made her do what she did
She should have used her free will – and just said no
Julie had been married for sixteen years / But her whole marriage was a veil of tears
Every day she got beat up from pillar to post / Then one day she couldn’t take no more
She lit a match a locked the front door / Watched her life burn down
And disappeared like a ghost
When I heard about that I felt ill / Oh, what a failure of free will
Oh, why did that poor girl / stay with that jerk?
The whole thing was just wrong, wrong, wrong / But no-one made her stay so long / She could have used her free will – it might have worked
Adam was out in the garden one day / When the serpent came over to say,
“Adam, did you see the apple in that tree?”
Adam said, “Well, serpent, I don't know.”
Serpent said, “Come on, Adam, just let go.”
So, he took one bite / Then he took another three
When I think about that I feel ill / Oh, what a failure of free will
Oh, why did that poor man / eat from that tree? / I know he was just a kid
But no-one made him do what he did / if he had used his free will -- we’d still be free
Preacher stood before the people
With a bible in his hand
Said, “From the instant of conception
Every single soul is damned.”
Then he went home to his lady
She was waiting in their room
He said, “Let’s make a baby.”
And went into her womb
Chorus
Pay it forward, original sin
From kin to kin to kin to kin
Making babies for hell
Wretched and sick and scarred
From the moment of conception
Another sin-ridden confection
Another burnt offering to God
Adam had just been sentenced
It was not a pretty sight
From that point on his whole life would be
A never-ending fight
So, he went home to his lady
She was standing in the rain
He said, “Let’s make a baby.”
And they had themselves a Cain (chorus)
Bridge
If you believe what you believe
Why do you dare to conceive?
Are you a sadist or just a fool?
Do to others as you’d have
Them do to you, man, I learned that
All the way back when I was in grade school (chorus)
They say good things come to those who wait
They say that love always conquers hate
They say no one is a slave to fate
Yes, that’s what they say
They say people get what they deserve
When I hear those words it hits a nerve
If I’m in a car, I have to swerve
I can’t believe they say that
(chorus)
I’ve heard them say it
I’ve heard them play it
Sometimes I’ve even seen them pray it
So, don’t believe everything you hear
I’ve heard them tell it
I’ve heard them yell it
I’ve even seen them try to sell it
When they say that, I can’t believe my ears
They say no one gets too much to bear
And there’s no such thing as unanswered prayer
And the universe always plays fair
Yes, that’s what they say
They say we all get what we put out
And that’s what the game is all about
When I hear that I want to shout
I can’t believe you said that (chorus)
They say that we reap just what we sow
Yes, they say some things ain’t ours to know
God’s ways are high and man’s ways are low
Yes, that’s what they say
Well, I used to say all will be well
It gets cleared up at the final bell
When I think back now, well truth to tell
I can’t believe I said that (chorus)
NO ONE CRIED
Charlie staggered down the alley
Sucking on a pint of gin
He leaned his back up against the wall
As the earth began to spin
Then he slunk down slowly to the ground
And breathed his final breath
He died alone, thin as a bone
And no one mourned his death
No one cried when Charlie died / Looking like a ruptured duck
When he dropped dead the angels said / Someone call a garbage truck
Sally looked up at her captor
He was wearing a great big grin
How she begged and begged for mercy
But no one was listening
Then he lowered her into the ground
And counted up to five
Smiled down at that little girl
Then buried her alive
No one cried when Sally died / It’s true, nobody did
When she got poked the angels joked / Hey, does hell take little kids?
Chico snuck in past the border / looking for a place to land
Tailed by the cops he came to a stop / In the Arizona sand
Then he kneeled down slowly to the ground / as the cops closed in fast
He sank into the dry hot sand / cops watched as he breathed his last
No cried when Chico died / looking like a broken stick
When Chico passed the angels laughed / someone cover up that spic
Mary cried when Jesus died / All the apostles too
We should all get the same sendoff / Chico, Charlie, Sally, and me and you
I have been writing lyrics for a few years. In my songs, I try to explore, in deep and original ways, the emotions and conflicts that comprise the human experience. I use lots of imagery, metaphor, alliteration, and word play to communicate my ideas. I thought Songbay would be a great way to share my work.
I grew up in New Jersey, where I worked a variety of jobs, including retail, customer service, and sales. But I always had an interest in writing and music. Some years ago I moved to the shore, where I live with my family.
