Lightning Jazz

 

By Dan Bern

 

Transcribed by Jared…  (F#/D= 0200230, Capo first Fret)  whole song seems basically this patern.. G F#/D  Em   C  over and over… great song..)

 

G               F#/D          Em

God came to me in a dream

C                   G

I knew it was God

         F#/D                   Em                 C

Because He had a long white beard

                               G

And a pink striped tunic

    F#/D              C                                 G

And the word “God” was spelled out above him

G              F#/D                 G

And an arrow pointed at his head

 

 

Well, just now it occurs to me

He could be a dog

He could be a dgo

He could be a gdo

As in Waiting for Godot

But no, no, no

It spelled “God”

The Kabbala is for crazy people

Not for me

And not, might I be so bold to say, not for God

 

I said, “Hey God,…hey God, ….hey God

How’s it hanging, tough guy?”

 

He said, “Lower yourself before me”

I lay down naked on the floor

He said,“ We’re on the 14th floor

Can’t you get a little lower?”

So I got in the elevator

Rode  to the basement

And I lay down naked on the floor

It was cold and it was crawly

But He said, “Lower yourself before me”

I said, “I’m lying naked in the basement floor

He said, “We’re at 3000 feet here”

So I went to the airport.

Hopped a flight to Phoenix

Which wasn’t hard to do

Because every plane flies to Phoenix

Even if you’re flying from say, New York to Boston

You’ve got to go through Phoenix

 

And when I got to Phoenix

I rented me a car

From Budget Rent-a-Car

Because Hertz and Avis and the others

Wouldn’t rent to me in my nakedness

And I rode out to Death Valley

And I lay down naked on the floor

 

And I said, “Hey God,…hey God, ,…hey God

How’s it hanging, tough guy?”

 

He said, “The age of specialization is over”

I said, “Excuse me?”

He said, “The age of specialization is over”

I said “Excuse me God, I thought that’s what you said

But you sound like a Time Magazine editorial

If I go back to the others and say I just talked to God

And the eleventh commandment includes the word specialization or something…”

And He said, “What do you mean, eleventh commandment?

There are only eight, right?”

I said, “Ten, God, ten. You gave Moses ten commandments”

He said, “Excuse me, I ought to know , I only gave him eight”

I said, “well I guess he added two more on his own

And god seethed,

And thunder and lightning crashed the heavens,

And God said, “ At least I hope he didn’t change the ones I gave him

Like the one about the moose”

I said, “The one about the moose?”

He said, “Yeah , you know, thou shalt not be mean to a moose”

I said, “Oh yeah, of course, commandment six, about the moose

I thought now there’s a chutzpah

I’m here lying to the Lord

And I thought, yeah, whatever, no one’s perfect

Besides, I don’t need that lighting jazz,

While I’m naked in the desert

 

So I said, “No more specialization eh?”

He said, “Yes that’s right “

Everybody can drive, and everyone can cook ,

Everyone can paint, everyone can sing,

Everyone can dance, and everyone can love

 

I said, “Whoa, hold on there, buddy,

Sounds like a nation of dilettantes you want.”

He said, “That is correct.

Everybody should do everything

I shrugged my shoulders and said “0kay I’ll tell them”

He tapped me on the shoulder and said, “One more thing”

I said, “Yeah what is it

And He made me stand up,

He gave me some underwear

And He whispered in my ear

The best, the best, the best is yet to come

The best, the best, the best is yet to come

The best, the best, the best is yet to come

 

And I said, “Hey God,…hey God,…hey God

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