Shopping Cart Jesus
.58 Lyrics

He walks with angels in his picket
He believes he is divinely guided and protected.

They tell him what to do
He feels directed by his angelic companions in his actions.

His shopping cart's filled with newspapers
His belongings, perhaps like his mind, are cluttered with old, useless information.

And thirty-six discarded shoes
He has been through a lot and carries reminders of the past that he no longer needs.

He's met with heavy skepticism
He is treated with doubt and suspicion by others around him.

Messiahs don't come everyday
People are skeptical of his claims of being a savior or messiah since they are so rare.

Shopping cart Jesus
A nickname or metaphor for a homeless person or someone regarded as mentally unstable.

He wants to talk to you
He longs for someone to listen to him and connect with him in some way.

One hundred blessings on his fingers
He has many reasons to be grateful, but has trouble finding ways to express it or share it with others.

He can't give away
His generosity goes unappreciated or unnoticed, preventing him from feeling connected to others.

He feels so frustrated
He is deeply dissatisfied with his life and how he is perceived by others.

Wasn't supposed to go down this way
He is unhappy with the way his life has turned out and feels it should have been different.

He really wants to talk to you right now
He desperately seeks human connection and validation in his life.

He wears a bag on his head for a hat
He wears unusual clothes or accessories that others find strange or unsettling.

He's got sores on his feet
He is afflicted with physical or emotional pain that makes it difficult to move forward in life.

And shit in his pants, he wonders why when he speaks
He struggles with incontinence and/or general discomfort in his body, which makes it harder to communicate effectively with others.

The word - the people walk away
He has trouble being heard or understood by others, causing people to avoid him or reject him.

So Jesus stands on this corner
He is homeless and spends most of his time in public places.

And his gospel falls to the ground
His teachings or messages are ignored or dismissed by others.

He's cold and he's hungry
He experiences chronic physical discomfort due to his lack of basic needs being met.

And he needs a drink
He is thirsty for human connection and feels isolated from others.

And he knows nobody believes
He is aware that he is generally dismissed or doubted by others around him, making it harder to connect with them.

He walks to the alley and finds salvation
He turns to unhealthy coping mechanisms or risky behavior to find relief from the pain and isolation he experiences.

In the form of a forty-five
He turns to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain or escape reality.

And on his way home he'll swallow that bullet
He intends to commit suicide or harm himself with his substance use.

To comfort him on his ride
He seeks peace or a sense of release from the emotional pain he experiences in everyday life.

Shopping cart Jesus
A reminder that even those who are marginalized or rejected by society are deserving of compassion and empathy.

He wants to talk to you
A plea for empathy and understanding towards the homeless and mentally ill, who are often ignored or stigmatized by society.