Larry Norman is a little-known Christian poet and musical genius. While I don’t embrace his faith, I embrace his passion, and consider him a significant influence in my approach to life.
Here are some of his lyrics for your consideration…
—
i don’t believe in politics
while the masses stay unfed
til the leaders change priorities
and supply the poor with bread
don’t believe in the revolution
or the empty words of peace
you can tear all of the governments down
you still won’t find release
—
i’ve searched all around the world to find a grain of truth
i’ve opened the mouth of love and found a wisdom tooth
—
i’ve always heard thou shalt not kill
what are we doing in vietnam?
why do we have the electic chair?
why did we build the neutron bam?
i dont believe in the moonshot
how many millions was that worth?
if you wanna show up the russians
then just feed all the poor on earth
—
you are far across the ocean
in a war that’s not your own
and while you’re winning theirs
you’re gonna lose the one at home
you say all men are equal all men are brothers
then why are the rich more equal than others
don’t ask me for the answer i’ve only got one
that a man leaves his darkness
when he follows the son
—
goliath had a sword, david had a stone
i have got the lord so i am not alone
if you knock me down brother
i will not fight you back
coz god loves all his children
red white yellow brown and black
—
you think it’s such a sad thing
when you see a fallen king
then you find out
they’re only princes to begin with
and everybody has to choose
whether they will win or lose
follow god or sing the blues
and who they’re gonna sin with
what a mess the world is in
i wonder who began it
don’t ask me
i’m only visiting this planet
—
you could be a brilliant surgeon
or a sweet young virgin
or a harlot out to sell
you could learn to play the blues
or be howard hughes
or the scarlet pimpernell
you could be a french provincial midwife
or go from door to door with a death-knife
but without love you ain’t nothing…
you could be a woman feeler
or a baby stealer
you could drink your life away
or you could be a holy prophet
get a blessing off it
or you could fast for fifty days
you could shake hands with the devil
or give your life to god on the level
but without love you ain’t nothing…
—
if we could live in shakespeare’s day
i wonder who’d we’d see
if people then could live today
i wonder what we’d see
they’d probably stop a corner cop
and ask what the whole world’s coming to
if people then could live today
i wonder what they’d do
yes i wonder what they’d do
would romeo and juliet
watch nelson eddy kiss jeanette?
would bacchus read police gazette?
and window peep at silhouette?
would ceasar pay to see the mets?
would icarus join the jet set?
would satan smoke menthol cigarettes?
would samson razor with gillettes?
would henry viii use etiquette
in a busy new york luncheonette?
would cleopatra die when when bit?
or save herself with a tourniquet?
would beethoven join a jazz quartet?
would ben hur drive a blue corvette?
would aristotle be an acid head?
would cain kill abel with a bayonet
nothing really changes
everything remains the same
we are what we are
till the day that we die
—
[amazon asin=B001502LME&template=iframe image]
related links:
– the words of larry norman
– larrynorman.com
– larry norman @ wikipedia