And it was goddamn good!

[Entropist]

Its been years since I've heard Leonard Bernstein's Mass. This is not a mass in any proper sense-- it is really more like a musical about a mass. It premiered in 1970 IIRC. Its a flawed work, but has some pretty good moments in it. In it, various members of the congregation interrupt the Latin mass voicing their own doubts, fears, and anxieties. Typical for Bernstein, it includes not only singers and orchestra, but marching band, rock band, jazz ensemble, kazoos...

Anyway, this section (below YouTube clip) appears roughly midway through, and is quite funny, biting satire. I prefer Bernstein's original recording from the early 70s (which was much more vigorous I think, even a bit frightening), but this is still quite entertaining:





The lyrics:

God said, Let there be light, and there was
God said, Let there be night, and there was
God said, Let there be day, and there was
Day to follow the night
And it was good, brother
And it was good, brother
And it was good, brother
And it was goddamn good!

God said, Let there be storms
Storms to bring life in all of its forms
Forms such as herds and gaggles and swarms
Swarms that have names and numbers and norms
And it was good, sister
And it was good, sister
And it was good, sister
And it was goddamn good!

God said, Let there be gnats
Let there be sprats to gobble the gnats
So that the sprats may nourish the rats
Making them fat, fine food for the cats
And they grew fat, brother
And they grew fat, brother
All but the gnats, brother
They all grew fearful fat

And God saw it was good
God made it be good
Created it good
Created the gnats to nourish the sprats to nurture the rats
And all for us big fat cats
Us fat cats!

God said it's good to be poor
Good men must not be secure
So if we steal from you
It's just to help you stay pure
And it was good!
And it was good, sister...

God said take charge of my zoo
I made these creatures for you
So he won't mind if we
Wipe out a species or two
And it was good!
And it was good, brother...

God said to spread His commands
To folks in faraway lands
They may not want us there
But man it's out of our hands
And it was good!
And it was good, sister...

God said that sex should repulse
Unless it leads to results
And so we crowd the world
Full of consenting adults
And it was good!
And it was good, brother...

God said it's good to be meek
And so we are once a week
It may not mean a lot
But oh, it's terribly chic
And it was good!
And it was good, sister...

God made us the boss
God gave us the cross
We turned it into a sword
To spread the Word of the Lord
We use His holy decrees
To do whatever we please
And it was good, yeah
And it was good, yeah
And it was goddamn good!