Friday, December 30, 2011

Rebel Jesus



We get enough Sweet Baby Jesus at this time of year to send us into a diabetic coma so I was taken off guard recently when I heard a song which was new to me. Where have I been? It was written by a favorite singer/songwriter of another era, Jackson Browne, but I was listening to a version by members of the Wainright/McGarrigle clan. It's called Rebel Jesus.



The streets are filled with laughter and light

And the music of the season

And the merchants' windows are all bright

With the faces of the children

And the families hurrying to their homes

As the sky darkens and freezes

Will be gathering around the hearths and tables

Giving thanks for all God's graces

And the birth of the rebel Jesus

They call him by the "Prince of Peace"

And they call him by "The Saviour"

And they pray to him upon the sea

And in every bold endeavor

As they fill his churches with their pride and gold

And their faith in him increases

But they've turned the nature that I worshipped in

From a temple to a robber's den

In the words of the rebel Jesus

We guard our world with locks and guns

And we guard our fine possessions

And once a year when Christmas comes

We give to our relations

And perhaps we give a little to the poor

If the generosity should seize us

But if any one of us should interfere

In the business of why there are poor

They get the same as the rebel Jesus

But pardon me if I have seemed

To take the tone of judgement

For I've no wish to come between

This day and your enjoyment

In this life of hardship and of earthly toil

We have need for anything that frees us

So I bid you pleasure and I bid you cheer

From a heathen and a pagan

On the side of the rebel Jesus.



Here are a couple of versions, one by Martha Wainright and the other by Jackson Browne.






This song has some kick to it. Have you heard it before? Do you all know it and wonder how I missed it?

4 comments:

Laurie said...

It has been around for awhile. Good song.

Laura said...

The older youth at St Paul's looked and listened to it last year at Christmas...I like the message going into the post Christmas season.

IanD said...

Never heard it, though I am a newcomer to Jackson Browne. I know him from "No Nukes," and for whatever song of his was in "Forrest Gump."

David Mundy said...

I figured I had just missed out on it along the way, even though I once followed Browne fairly closely.

Good to hear you had the retro thing going with our young people Laura!

You're just too young for Browne Ian!