This song by Daniel Zott is good, reminiscent [WOO HOO FINALLY SPELLED IT RIGHT - TOO MUCH BEER] of Grant Lee Buffalo's early stuff:
Heavenly Union (the whole song can be heard at the link)
The lyrics are from a parody by Frederick Douglass of a popular southern US hymn at the end of his irst autobiography, highlighting the hypocrisy of the Christians of his day in support of slavery (or simply looking the other way).
come saints and sinners hear me tell
how pious priests whip jack and nell
and women buy and children sell
and preach all sinners down to hell
and sing of heavenly union
they'll bleat and baa dona like goats
gorge down black sheep and strain at motes
array their backs in fine black coats
then seize their negroes by their throats
and choke for heavenly union
they'll church you if you sip a dram
and damn you if you steal a lamb
yet rob old tony, doll, and sam
of human rights and bread and ham
kidnapper's heavenly union
they'll loudly talk of christ's reward
and bind his image with a cord
and scold and swing the lash abhorred
and sell their brother in the lord
to handcuffed heavenly union
they'll read and sing a sacred song
and make a prayer both loud and long
and teach the right and do the wrong
hailing the brother, sister throng
with words of heavenly union
a roaring ranting sleek man-thief
who lived on mutton, veal, and beef
yet never would afford relief
to needy sable sons of grief
was big with heavenly union
love not the world the preacher said
and winked his eye and shook his head
he seized on tom and dick and ned
cut short their meat and clothes and bread
yet still loved heavenly union
another preacher whining spoke
of one whose heart for sinners broke
he tied old nanny to an oak
and drew the blood at every stroke
and prayed for heavenly union
Heavenly Union (the whole song can be heard at the link)
The lyrics are from a parody by Frederick Douglass of a popular southern US hymn at the end of his irst autobiography, highlighting the hypocrisy of the Christians of his day in support of slavery (or simply looking the other way).
come saints and sinners hear me tell
how pious priests whip jack and nell
and women buy and children sell
and preach all sinners down to hell
and sing of heavenly union
they'll bleat and baa dona like goats
gorge down black sheep and strain at motes
array their backs in fine black coats
then seize their negroes by their throats
and choke for heavenly union
they'll church you if you sip a dram
and damn you if you steal a lamb
yet rob old tony, doll, and sam
of human rights and bread and ham
kidnapper's heavenly union
they'll loudly talk of christ's reward
and bind his image with a cord
and scold and swing the lash abhorred
and sell their brother in the lord
to handcuffed heavenly union
they'll read and sing a sacred song
and make a prayer both loud and long
and teach the right and do the wrong
hailing the brother, sister throng
with words of heavenly union
a roaring ranting sleek man-thief
who lived on mutton, veal, and beef
yet never would afford relief
to needy sable sons of grief
was big with heavenly union
love not the world the preacher said
and winked his eye and shook his head
he seized on tom and dick and ned
cut short their meat and clothes and bread
yet still loved heavenly union
another preacher whining spoke
of one whose heart for sinners broke
he tied old nanny to an oak
and drew the blood at every stroke
and prayed for heavenly union
“Society is not a disease, it is a disaster. What a stupid miracle that one can live in it.” ~ E.M. Cioran
