Jesus was a cracker

Jesus was a cracker 

we washed down 

with wine

was Jesus

Mary was a mumble

a bracelet

a sign

was Mary 

God was nothing 

in particular

a smoke bomb, 

a brass cup,

stained glass,

a widow working the organ 

working the organ

From all of which 

I assembled a cosmology

in a basement crèche

while God turned away from me

Jesus was a cracker 

we washed down 

with wine

was Jesus

Mary was a mumble

a bracelet

a sign
was Mary

not this fucking time of year again

[[ musically, a Christmas carol ]]

[[ this part in imitation of bells ]] 

not this 

fucking 

time of 

year a-

gain

[[ the sound of a church choir ]] 

all the skies are gray and lifeless (gray and lifeless)

all the winds are sharp and cold (sharp and cold)

all the roads are wet and icy (wet and icy)

all my bones 

two hundred six! 

the pops and clicks! 

the cracks and cricks! 

are so old

someone else's strange religion (strange religion)

someone else's hopes and fears (hopes and fears)

someone else's gongs and jangles (gongs and jangles)

someone's god 

three-headed -- weird!

one mainly beard!

all of them feared!

in my ears... [[ quiet, crescendo, and then the bang ]]

Bang! all the metal in your towers!

See if I fucking care 

Bang! all the metal in your towers!

Give all the birds a scare 

[[ a chorus imitating bells and singing in bell terms rather than Latin ]]

peal [[ repeated with combinations of the others ]]

nominal

quint

tierce

prime

hum [[ let this one be the last and lowest tone still ringing ]]

who is this woman

who is this woman

holding the light?

who is this man

at the carnival?

everyone wearing

their bones out tonight

at the carnival

bones on the outside

under the light

you've got a secret

only we know

only we know

you've got a secret

you wouldn't hurt me, 

would you, baby?

after everything we've ever done?

you wouldn't hurt me, 

would you, baby?

after everywhere we've ever been?

who is this woman

holding the light?

who is this man

at the carnival?

they look like us

at the carnival

you've got a secret

only we know

only we know

you've got a secret

[[ I think this started in a James Bond movie ]]

burning down the fire hall

Every body on the floor.

Can't get another in the door

Women falling out
of their high heel shoes,

Red-faced men

choking on their ties.

They're burning down

the fire hall tonight.

Everybody drinking

Everybody drunk

Then auntie versus auntie

Unc versus unc

And oh! Auntie Auntie

Kicks Unc in the junk!

They're burning down

the fire hall tonight.

Here comes the bride, 

Her mouth a mile wide,

Screaming for it all to stop.

Where is the groom?

Someone give him room.

Someone kick the man on top.

They're burning down

the fire hall tonight.