Although Rovics is not strongly associated with any particular political or ideological movement, his lyrics and recorded interviews encompass a wide range of left-wing, humanitarian interests. He has suggested a commonality or synthesis between these varied ideologies in several of his radio interviews, and cites his music as a means to disseminate these ideas. His provocative and catchy lyrics bring to mind a modern-day Woody Guthrie or Phil Ochs.
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Who Would Jesus Bomb?
David Rovics Lyrics
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I've seen you in the streets
And at your political convention
Talking of your crusade
Talking of your nation
And other things too terrible to mention
And you proclaim your Christianity
You proclaim your love of God
Well I've just got one question
And I want an answer
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Maybe Jesus would bomb the Syrians
Cause they're not Jews like him
Maybe Jesus would bomb the Afghans
On some kind of vengeful whim
Maybe Jesus would drive an M1 tank
And he would shoot Saddam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
I've seen you on the TV
And on the battleships
I've seen you in the house upon the hill
And I've heard you talking
About making the world safer
And about all the men you have to kill
And you speak so glibly
About your civilization
And how you have the moral higher ground
While halfway around the world
Your explosives smash the buildings
Ah, if you could only hear the sound
But maybe Jesus would sell land mines
And turn on his electric chair
Maybe Jesus would show no compassion
For his enemies in the lands way over there
Maybe Jesus would have flown the planes
That killed the kids in Viet Nam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb
Yes I hear you shout with confidence
As you praise the lord
And you talk about this God you know so well
And you talk of Armageddon
And your final victory
When all the evil forces go to hell
Well you'd best hope you've chosen wisely
On the right side of the lord
And when you die your conscience it is clear
You'd best hope that your atom bombs
Are better than the sword
At the time when your reckoning is here
Cause I don't think Jesus would send gunships into Bethlehem
Or jets to raze the towns of Timorese
I don't think Jesus would lend money to dictators
Or drive those SUV's
And I don't think Jesus would ever have dropped
A single ounce of napalm
So tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
David Rovics's song Who Would Jesus Bomb? is a strong critique of the hypocrisy and contradictions of those who claim to be Christians but support war and violence. Throughout the song, Rovics questions the morality of those who proclaim their Christianity but advocate for bombing and killing in the name of their country. He highlights the contrast between the teachings of Jesus, who preached love and compassion, and the actions of those who claim to follow him but engage in violence and destruction.
Rovics uses language and examples that are reminiscent of contemporary events like the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He poses the question of who Jesus would bomb and offers sarcastic examples of how some Christians might justify such actions. For instance, he suggests that Jesus might bomb Syrians because they are not Jews or drive an M1 tank and shoot Saddam. Rovics also alludes to the Vietnam War and the indiscriminate use of weapons like landmines and napalm.
However, Rovics's ultimate point is that Jesus would never bomb anyone. He argues that Jesus's teachings are incompatible with violence and destruction, and someone who claims to be a Christian should follow those teachings. Rovics calls his listeners to examine their conscience and reconsider their support for war and aggression, especially from the perspective of their commitment to Christianity.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen you in the markets
I have observed you in public places.
I've seen you in the streets
I have seen you in public areas.
And at your political convention
I have seen you at a gathering of political associates.
Talking of your crusade
Discussing your military mission.
Talking of your nation
Talking of your country.
And other things too terrible to mention
Also speaking of unspeakable acts.
And you proclaim your Christianity
You declare your religious affiliation with Christianity.
You proclaim your love of God
You assert your devotion to God.
You talk of apple pie and mom
You mention a beloved traditional American dish and a mother figure.
Well I've just got one question
I have a single inquiry.
And I want an answer
I desire a response.
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Who is a person Jesus would attack with bombs?
Maybe Jesus would bomb the Syrians
It is possible Jesus would bomb the Syrians.
Cause they're not Jews like him
Because they do not belong to the same ethnicity as Jesus.
Maybe Jesus would bomb the Afghans
It is conceivable Jesus would bomb the Afghans.
On some kind of vengeful whim
Incited by emotions of vengeance.
Maybe Jesus would drive an M1 tank
It is possible Jesus would operate an M1 tank.
And he would shoot Saddam
And he would target Saddam with ammunition.
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Who is a person Jesus would attack with bombs?
I've seen you on the TV
I've seen you on television.
And on the battleships
And on military vessels.
I've seen you in the house upon the hill
I've seen you in a residence atop a hill.
And I've heard you talking
I've heard you speaking.
About making the world safer
About enhancing global safety.
And about all the men you have to kill
And about all the men you must execute.
And you speak so glibly
Your speech is slick and shallow.
About your civilization
Regarding your culture.
And how you have the moral higher ground
And how you hold a moral advantage.
While halfway around the world
However, on the other side of the globe.
Your explosives smash the buildings
Your explosives demolish the structures.
Ah, if you could only hear the sound
If you could only listen to the noise.
But maybe Jesus would sell land mines
Perhaps Jesus would offer land mines for sale.
And turn on his electric chair
And operate his electric chair.
Maybe Jesus would show no compassion
It is possible that Jesus would exhibit no empathy.
For his enemies in the lands way over there
To his opponents in faraway territories.
Maybe Jesus would have flown the planes
It is conceivable Jesus would have operated the planes.
That killed the kids in Viet Nam
That resulted in children's deaths during the Vietnam War.
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb
Who is a person Jesus would attack with bombs?
Yes I hear you shout with confidence
I hear you scream with certainty.
As you praise the lord
While you worship God.
And you talk about this God you know so well
And you discuss a God you are familiar with.
And you talk of Armageddon
And you speak about Armageddon.
And your final victory
And your ultimate triumph.
When all the evil forces go to hell
At the time when all the wicked entities are cast down to hell.
Well you'd best hope you've chosen wisely
It would be best if you chose wisely.
On the right side of the lord
On the preferred side of God.
And when you die your conscience it is clear
And when you pass away with a clear conscience.
You'd best hope that your atom bombs
It would be optimal if your nuclear weapons.
Are better than the sword
Are superior to traditional weaponry.
At the time when your reckoning is here
At the point when your judgment takes place.
Cause I don't think Jesus would send gunships into Bethlehem
Because I do not believe Jesus would dispatch gunships to Bethlehem.
Or jets to raze the towns of Timorese
Or jets to destroy the towns of the Timorese people.
I don't think Jesus would lend money to dictators
I do not believe Jesus would loan money to dictators.
Or drive those SUV's
Or operate SUVs.
And I don't think Jesus would ever have dropped
And I do not believe Jesus would have ever released.
A single ounce of napalm
Any amount of napalm.
So tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Who is a person Jesus would attack with bombs?
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