June 28, Prayer in the Public Schools  (1)

 

Go roll out your rug or put on your shawl

Or just bow your head but tell one and all,

It’s time for morning prayers.

 

Chorus:

It’s time to get down and pray, get carried away,

Let the Supreme Court look the other way.

There is no better way to start the day

Than to get right down and pray.

 

English is fine and Hebrew is too,

Latin’s okay, or practice your Urdu.

Ave Maria, Baruch Adonai,  (2)

Mumble a mantra or just heave a sigh.

 

Chorus:

 

Protestants stand as Catholics all kneel.

Jews stand and sway to music they must feel.

Baptists ignore the hubbub and fuss;

They say to themselves, “God hears only us.”

Chorus:

 

Agnostics can stay and if they don’t know

The words to a prayer, they’ll just watch the show.

Atheists are welcome and they don’t have to pray;

They can bring tables of numbers to say.

 

Chorus:

 

Krishnas all dance and jingle a bell.

Baptists are sure they’ll waltz right into hell.

Preachers complain, “Hey!  This ain’t what we meant.”

“Rather than dancing those freaks should repent!”

 

Chorus:

Coda:  There is no better way to start the day

Than a prayer said the right way.

 

• Now that the Supreme Court has ruled, 6-3, that it is okay for a high school football coach to kneel and pray on the 50 yard line after football games, one might consider what might really happen if there were a truly ecumenical period of prayer every morning in schools. “Prayer in the Public Schools,” is taken from an album I recorded in 2002 with The Opossums of Truth, my band that was formed to perform “Scientific Gospel” songs.  The album is entitled, “Ain’t Gonna Be No Judgment Day.”
• “Ave Maria,” Latin for, “Hail, Mary.”  “Baruch Adonai,” Hebrew for, “Blessed is the Lord.”