The Gospel According To My Ol' Man - Joshua Kadison

We could hear the gospel all around

My dad and me leanin' 'gainst a tree with leaves falling down

Now, daddy, he’s no holy man.

He never taught us how to pray

But he saw the questions on my face

He looked at me and I turned away

And he said, «Believe what you want to, believe what you can

'cause all I ever really learned from this life of mine…

Love’s the only thing worth a damn

So take it or leave it, deny or receive it

'cause maybe it was never really ours to understand.»

And that right there’s the gospel according to my ol' man

The neighbors just put up with us

Mrs. Jones always tried to save our souls

With a fiery look as she held her book

And read about him calling all his little lost lambs back to the fold

And Daddy’d say, «Now, Elna May, with all due respect

Believe what you want to, believe what you can

'cause all I ever really learned from this life of mine…

Love’s the only thing worth a damn

So take it or leave it, deny or receive it

'cause maybe it was never really ours to understand."

And that right there’s the gospel according to my ol' man