JESUS THE MISSING YEARS
(Prine)
John Prine - 1991


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 world's 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 wiht the cops from Israel didn't 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, 
Swimming pools, orgies and lots of pretty Italian chicks 

Charley bought some popcorn 
Billy bought a car 
Someone almost bought the farm 
But they didn't 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 
He went to a dance and said, "This don't move me" 
So 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 wasn't getting along 
So he took out his guitar and he wrote a song 
Called 'The Dove Of Love Fell Off The Perch' 
But he couldn't get divorced in the Catholic Church 
At least not back then anyhow 
Jesus was a good guy he didn't need this shit 
So he took a pill with a Coca-Cola and he swallowed it 
He discovered the Beatles 
He recorded with the Stones 
Once he even opened up a three way package 
For old George Jones 

The years passed 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 all the world smelled like poop 
Baby poop that is the worst kind 

So he grew his hair long and threw 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? 
I'm a human corkscrew and all my wine is blood 
They're gonna kill me Mama, they don't like me Bud 

So Jesus went to heaven and he went there awful quick 
All them people killed him and He wasn't even sick 
So come and gather around me my contemporary peers 
And I'll tell you all the story 
Of Jesus ... the missing years


*****


JESUS THE MISSING YEARS 
(Live Version)
(Prine)
John Prine - 1997


I got the idea for this song, I guess, uuh, somebody was talking to
me at a party a couple of years back. I don't know how we got around
to this conversation, but somebody started telling me that there was
all these missing years in the life of Jesus. He was missing from the
time he was twelve until he was thirty.
And I said, "You mean, uuh, like nobody knew where he was?"
And he said, "Nobody!"
So that kinda like stuck in the back o' my mind, you know, I
thought "nobody!". One of the most influential and controversial
figures in the history of mankind.....nobody knows where he was for
eighteen years. I snuck away on a fishin' trip once with this
waitress for a couple of days. By the time we got back to Nashville,
everybody knew where we were!
Jesus.....the missing years.....

It was raining and it was cold
West Bethlehem was no place for a twelve year old
So he packed his bag and he headed out
To find out what the world's about

He went to France an' he went to Spain
He found love he found pain
He found stores so he started to shop
He had no money so he got in trouble with a cop

Kids in trouble with the cops from Israel didn't 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, spear inventors
And lots of pretty Italian chicks

Charley bought some popcorn
Billy bought a car
Someone almost bought the farm
But they didn't go that far
Things shut down at midnight
At least 'round here they do
'Cause we all reside down the block inside
23 skidoo

Wine was flowing, so were beers
So Jesus found his missing years
He went to a dance and said, "This don't move me"
So 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, uuh, him and the wife wasn't gettin' along
So he took out his guitar and he wrote a song
Called 'The Dove Of Love Fell Off The Perch'
But he couldn't get divorced in the Catholic Church
At least not back then anyhow

Jesus was a good guy
He didn't need this shit
So he took a pill with a bag o' peanuts and a Coca-Cola
And he swallowed it

He discovered the Beatles
He recorded with the Stones
Once he even opened up a three way package
In Southern California for old George Jones

And Charley bought some popcorn
An' Billy bought a car
Someone almost bought the farm
But they didn't go that far
And things shut down at midnight
At least 'round here they do
'Cause we all reside down the block inside
23 skidoo

The years went by like sweet little days
With babies cryin', pork chops and Beaujolaise
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
The whole world smelled like poop
Baby poop that is......the worst kind

So he grew his hair long and threw away his comb
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 fishin' rod
He said, "Whatcha gonna be when you grow up?"
Jesus said "God"

Oh, my God what have I gotten myself into?
I'm a human corkscrew, all my wine is blood
They're gonna kill me Mama
They don't like me Bud

So Jesus went to heaven
And he went there awful quick
All them people killed him
And He wasn't even sick

So come and gather around me
My contemporary peers
An' I'll tell you all the story
Of Jesus ... the missing years

Charley bought some popcorn
An' Billy bought a car
Someone almost bought the farm
But they didn't go that far
Things shut down at midnight
At least 'round here they do
'Cause we all reside down the block inside
23 skidoo
We all reside down the block inside
23 skidoo


(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - November 2003)