Jesus - The Missing Years

Speaking of missing things, just what was Jesus doing between ages 12 and 30? Inquiring minds want to know. Here's John Prine's take on this.


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Jesus.... the missing years




It was raining. it was cold

West bethlehem was no place for a twelve year old

So he packed his bags and he headed out

To find out what the worlds about

He went to france. he went to spain

He found love. he found pain.

He found stores so he started to shop

But he had no money so he got in trouble with a cop



Kids in trouble with the cops

From israel didnt have no home

So he cut his hair and moved to rome

It was there he met his irish bride

And they rented a flat on the lower east side of rome...Italy that is

Music publishers, book binders,

Bible belters, money changers,

Spoon benders and lots of pretty italian chicks.



Chorus:Charley bought some popcorn

Billy bought a car

Someone almost bought the farm

But they didnt go that far

Things shut down at midnight

At least around here they do

Cause we all reside down the block

Inside at ....23 skidoo.



Wine was flowing so were beers

So jesus found his missing years

So he went to a dance and said this dont move me

He hiked up his pants and he went to a movie

On his thirteenth birthday he saw rebel without a cause

He went straight on home and invented santa claus

Who gave him a gift and he responded in kind

He gave the gift of love

and went out of his mind



You see him and the wife

wasnt getting along

So he took out his guitar

and he wrote a song

Called the dove of love

fell off the perch

But he couldnt get divorced

in the catholic church

At least not back then anyhow



Jesus was a good guy

he didnt need this shit

So he took a pill with a bag of peanuts,

a coca-cola and he swallowed it.



He discovered the beatles

And he recorded with the stones

Once he even opened up a three-way package

In southern california for old george jones



Repeat chorus



The years went by like sweet little days

With babies crying pork chops and beaujolais

When he woke up he was seventeen

The world was angry.

the world was mean.

Why the man down the street

and the kid on the stoop

All agreed that life stank and smelled like poop


Baby poop that is ..the worst kind



So he grew his hair long

and thew away his comb

And headed back to jerusalem

to find mom, dad and home

But when he got there

the cupboard was bare

Except for an old black man with a fishing rod

He said whatcha gonna be when you grow up?

Jesus said god

Oh my god, what have I gotten myself into?

Im a human corkscrew

and all my wine is blood

Theyre gonna kill me mama.

they dont like me bud.



So jesus went to heaven

and he went there awful quick

All them people killed him

and he wasnt even sick



So come and gather around me

my contemporary peers

And Ill tell you all the story of

Jesus...the missing years





We all reside down the block

Inside at ....23 skidoo.





Bloggers Note: No disrespect intended towards Jesus ben Joseph or towards anyone's deeply held faith.