Todd Snider - In the Beginning lyrics

rate me

In the beginning man wondered to himself, Why, oh why are we here?

And yet with each asking of this question the answer would become even less clear.

Overwhelmed by fear, distraciton took its place,

And so its was in the world's first shelter that we began the human race,

The human race to fill up more and more empty space.

Oh how we loved the human race.

Until one day this one guy said to this other guy,

He said, "Hey you see that guy over there?

"He's got more than everybody else has got.

"To me that don't seem fair."

Well the second guy agreed with the first guy.

Everybody else did too.

'Til they all got so worked up

They figured there was something they just had to do:

Divide his things up among each other,

After they killed him of course,

For they could see no real good reason

Not to just take what they wanted by force.

But when they found him he said, "Hey wait a minute, fellas.

"I wouldn't kill me just now.

"You can see that I've got more than any of you have ever got;

"Wouldn't you first at least like to know how?"

And with that he had their attention,

And with that he went on loud and clear.

He said, "You all know how long we've all wondered

"Why, oh why are we here?

"Well today I'm gonna tell you all about it,

"I'm gonna teach you about suffering and bliss,

"I'm gonna teach you a little about heaven and hell

"And the god that gave me all this.

"God gave me this because I'm humble,

"And He can do the same for you, too,

"But if you're seeking His love and affection,

"What you're doing is the last thing I'd do.

"He sends killers to hellfire,

"Both here and eternally;

"The good live forever in a place called heaven.

"God told me this personally."

Who ya gonna trust if you can't trust me?

"So unless you want suffering and heartache,

"Unless you want trouble and fear,

"You better find some kind of way to humble yourself.

"May I suggest helping me clean up around here?

"Course I could pay you a little bit of money

"But more importantly God would see,

"And if He sees you working humbly

"Someday He may give you what He's given me."

Well the crowd just didn't know what to do with that,

Nor could they prove what he said wasn't true.

And since he had what everyone else thought they wanted,

It seemed like a thing to do.

And with that we rolled into the future,

And ain't it a son of a bitch

To think that we would still need religion

To keep the poor from killing the rich?

Who you gonna trust if you don't trust me?