FRANK ZAPPA lyrics - Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk

[includes quotes from Light Cavalry Overture (von Suppe), The Battle Hymn Of The Republic (Steffe/Howe), The Twilight Zone Theme (Constant), Entry Of The Gladiators (Fucik), The Old Rugged Cross (Bennard), Dixie (Emmett), Louie Louie (Richard Berry), Rock Of Ages (Toplady/Hastings), and a fragment of One Man - One Vote]



[Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA

February 13 & 14, 1988

&

Royal Oak Music Theatre, Detroit, Michigan

February 26, 1988

&

Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland

March 15, 1988

&

Rothman Center, Teaneck, New Jersey

March 20, 1988

&

Civic Center, Providence

March 16, 1988

&

Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY

March 25, 1988

&

Warner Theatre, Washington DC

February 9, 1988

&

Wembley Arena, London, UK

April 19, 1988

&

Shea's Theater, Buffalo

March 9, 1988

&

War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, NY

March 11, 1988

&

Unknown location & date



guest vocalist: Eric Buxton]



Yes, friends. . . Pass the plate around, friends. . . Join us, friends. . .



There's an ugly little weasel 'bout three-foot nine

Face puffed up from cryin' 'n lyin'

'Cause her sweet little hubby's

Suckin' prong part time

(In the name of The Lord)



Get a clue, little shrew

Oh yeah, oh yeah

Jesus thinks you're a jerk

Would he really choose Tammy to do His Work? Unh-unh



Hallelujah!

(Yes, friends. . . )



Robertson says that he's The One

Oh he sure is, if Armageddon

Is your idea of family fun,

An' he's got some planned for you!

(Now, tell me that ain't true)



Give me that old time religion!



Now, what if Jimbo's slightly gay,

Will Pat let Jimbo get away?

Everything we've heard him say

Indicates that Jim must pay,

(And it just might hurt a bit) Just a bit!

But keep that money rollin' in,

'Cause Pat and naughty Jimbo

Can't get enough of it (let's dance!)



Perhaps it's their idea

Of an Affirmative Action Plan

To give White Trash a 'special break';

Well, they took those Jeezo-bucks and ran

To the bank! To the bank! To the bank! To the bank!

And every night we can hear them thank

Their Buddy, up above

For sending down his love

(While you all smell the glove)



Henry Cisneros, ladies and gentlemen!



Jim and Pat should take a pole

(Right up each saintly glory-hole),

With tar and feathers too -

Just like they'd love to do to you



('Cause they think you are bad -

Yes, they do!

And they are very mad)



'Cause some folks don't want prayer in school!



(We'd need an ark to survive the drool

Of Micro-publicans, raised on hate,

And 'Jimbo-Jumbo' when they graduate)



Convinced they are 'The Chosen Ones' -

And all their parents carry guns,

(Hey, look! Godzilla!)

And hold them cards in the N. R.A.

(Ah, hellfire, Melvin, hey hee!)

(With their fingers on the trigger

("It's hot.")

When they kneel and pray)

("I mean that. . . ")



With a Ku-Klux muu-muu

In the back of the truck,

If you ain't Born Again,

They wanna mess you up, screamin':

"No abortion, no-siree!"

"Life's too precious, can't you see!"

(What's that hangin' from a neighbor's tree?

Why, it looks like 'colored folks' to me -

Would THEY do THAT. . .

They've been doin' it for years!

Seriously?)



And now, ladies and gentlemen, the dynamic Eric Buxton



Imagine if you will,

A multi-millionaire TV Evangelist,

Saved from Korean Combat duty by his father, a U. S. Senator



Studied law -

But is not qualified to practice it



Father of a "love child"

Who, in adulthood, hosts the remnants

Of papa's religious propaganda program



Claims not to be a "Faith Healer,"

But has, in the past,

Dealt sternly with everything from hemorrhoids to hurricanes



Involved with funding for an 'undeclared war' in Central America

Claiming Ronald Reagan and Oliver North as close friends



Involved in suspicous 'tax-avoidance schemes',

(Under investigation for 16 months by the I. R.S.)



Claims to be a MAN OF GOD;

Currently seeking the United States Presidency,

Hoping we will all follow him into -

The Twilight Zone



But, hey! What if Pat gets in the White House,

(No fuckin' way, Ike,

You know what I mean)

The rights of 'certain people' disappear

Mysteriously?



Now, wouldn't that sort of qualify

As an American Tragedy?

(Especially if they cover it up, sayin'

"Jesus told it to me!")

(I mean vapor tight, we're like this, okay?

I mean that)

I hope we never see that day,

(I mean that. Right here. It's hot. It's hot.)

In The Land of The Free -

Or someday will we?

(92?)

Will we?

(96?)



And if you don't know by now,

The truth of what I'm tellin' you,

Then, surely I have failed somehow -

Surely I have failed somehow

Surely I have failed somehow



And Jesus will think I'm a jerk, just like you -

If you let those TV Preachers

Make a monkey out of you!



I said:

"Jesus will think you're a jerk"

And it would be true!



There's an old rugged cross

In the land of the Stainless Maiden -

It's just burnin' on the lawn

But this person looks like Tom Braden!



Jim and Tammy!

Oh, baby!

You gotta go!

You really got to go!

Jim and Tammy got to go



FZ: Ladies and gentlemen, this is intermission. Get your butt out there and register to vote! Would you please? See you in a half an hour!