Ballad Of The Carpenter

Song Ballad Of The Carpenter
Artist Phil Ochs
Album I Ain't Marching Anymore

Lyrics

[00:03.95] Jesus was a working man
[00:07.79] And a hero you will hear
[00:11.54] Born in the town of Bethlehem
[00:15.80] At the turning of the year
[00:19.06] At the turning of the year
[00:24.26] When Jesus was a little lad
[00:27.76] Streets rang with his name
[00:30.62] For he argued with the older men
[00:35.17] And put them all to shame
[00:38.61] He put them all to shame
[00:43.25] He became a wandering journeyman
[00:47.34] And he traveled far and wide
[00:50.95] And he noticed how wealth and poverty
[00:55.72] Live always side by side
[00:59.32] Live always side by side
[01:03.93] So he said "Come all you working men
[01:07.88] Farmers and weavers too
[01:11.29] If you would only stand as one
[01:15.49] This world belongs to you
[01:18.97] This world belongs to you"
[01:23.89] When the rich men heard what the carpenter had done
[01:28.07] To the Roman troops they ran
[01:31.53] Saying put this rebel Jesus down
[01:36.10] He's a menace to God and man
[01:39.54] He's a menace to God and man
[01:44.61] The commander of the occupying troops
[01:48.18] Just laughed and then he said
[01:51.15] "There's a cross to spare on Calvaries hill"
[01:54.80] By the weekend he'll be dead
[01:58.24] By the weekend he'll be dead"
[02:03.82] Now Jesus walked among the poor
[02:07.60] For the poor were his own kind
[02:11.13] And they'd never let them get near enough
[02:14.69] To take him from behind
[02:18.31] To take him from behind
[02:23.07] So they hired one of the traders trade
[02:26.94] And an informer was he
[02:30.06] And he sold his brother to the butchers men
[02:33.65] For a fistful of silver money
[02:37.11] For a fistful of silver money
[02:42.72] And Jesus sat in the prison cell
[02:46.20] And they beat him and offered him bribes
[02:49.91] To desert the cause of his fellow man
[02:53.26] And work for the rich men's tribe
[02:57.00] To work for the rich men's tribe
[03:01.80] And the sweat stood out on Jesus' brow
[03:05.76] And the blood was in his eye
[03:09.16] When they nailed his body to the Roman cross
[03:12.86] And they laughed as they watched him die
[03:16.54] They laughed as they watched him die
[03:24.98] Two thousand years have passed and gone
[03:28.72] Many a hero too
[03:31.59] But the dream of this poor carpenter
[03:36.41] Remains in the hands of you
[03:39.84] Remains in the hands of you