The Rebel Jesus

All 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 their hearths and tables Giving thanks for God's graces And the birth of the rebel Jesus. Well, they call him by The Prince of Peace And they call him by The Savior, And they pray to him upon the seas And in every bold endeavor, And they fill his churches with their pride and gold As their faith in him increases, But they've turned the nature that I worship in From a temple to "a robbers' den," In the words of the rebel Jesus. Instrumental 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 they are poor, They get the same as the rebel Jesus. But pardon me if I have seemed To take the tone of judgment, For I've no wish to come between This day and your enjoyment. In this life of hardship and of earthly toil There's a 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. Instrumental