This is the one hundred and thirty-ninth installment in the Songs of Sacrilege series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a song that is irreverent towards religion, makes fun of religion, pokes fun at sincerely held religious beliefs, or challenges the firmly held religious beliefs of others, please send me an email.
Today’s Song of Sacrilege is Hymn 43 by Jethro Tull.
Our father high in heaven-smile down upon your son.
Who’s busy with his money games – his woman and his gun.
Oh Jesus save me!
And the unsung Western hero, killed an Indian or three,
And then he made his name in Hollywood
To set the white man free.
Oh Jesus save me!
If Jesus saves-well, He’d better save Himself
From the gory glory seekers who use His name in death.
Oh Jesus save me!
Well, I saw Him in the city and on the mountains of the moon –
His cross was rather bloody –
He could hardly roll His stone.
Oh Jesus save me.
YAY!!!! Ian Anderson was my rock-n-roll hero during my teenage years because I play flute. Aqualung one of my favorite albums; along with “Thick as a Brick”, of course, and the lesser-known “Songs From the Woods”. (Ian Anderson is the flute-playing front man for the band.) “Divinities” is a later, rather quirky album, that I also enjoy. And yes, my contempt for Evangelical Christianity goes back all those 40 years, in spite of still retaining some sort of Deistic faith.
Although I didn’t get to see them live until until ’96 or ’97, I came away from that first concert saying that Ian had made love to my brain for 2 hours. Jethro Tull was also the first concert I took my youngest son to, several years later. Thanks for bringing back fond memories, Bruce. 🙂