Old-Time Religion

(20 zillion lyrics version)

Words & Music:

Traditional American / new lyrics by many

 

Inspired by Pete Seeger, many people have come up with their own verses for this song. In fact, correspondent Alan Anderson sent along two new verses for this.  They are the first two.  My personal favorite is verse 3. brilliant!

 

So, why is it in the "Protest/Political/Social" section?  As a correspondent pointed out, and rightly so, the original song is still both sacred and a "comfort song" to many Christians.  On that basis, she requested that this version be moved to a different section than "Gospel".  And so it is here.  Now, as I mentioned in the comment to the Pete Seeger version, some of the theology mentioned below is quite good & clever and some of said theology is dated, stereotyped and incorrect; but the satire is fun.  Any truly outraged fellow Pagans who wish to spend their energies thus can send me an email.  Else, enjoy laughing along with the Gods.

 

We shall worship good old Baldur; we shall never ever falter.

We'll put Ripple on his altar, It's good enough for HIM.

 

We shall worship Yeasoo Cristay, every Sunday is his feast day.

And stars rising in the East. HEY!!  He's good enough for me.

 

Let us worship like the Quakers:

[2 lines silent]

It's good enough for me.

 

It was Gerald wrote the ditty and Al Crowley made it pretty.

Ain't traditional one bitty, but it's good enough for me

 

It's no good for Billy Graham.  It's no good for Billy Graham.

It scares Hell out of Billy Graham, but it's good enough for me.

 

We will have a mighty orgy in the honor of Astarte.

It'll be one helluva party and that's good enough for me.

 

We'll be met by Aphrodite, she looks gorgeous in her nightie.

She's kind of wild and flighty; but she's good enough for me.

 

There will be a lot of lovin' when we're meeting in our coven.

Quit your pushin' and your shovin' so there's room enough for me.

 

It was good enough for Sappho with her Lady on her lap-o

She put Lesbos on the map-o with her Pagan Poetry.

 

We will go and worship Hermes, though his staff is full of wormies.

He protects us from the germies and that's good enough for me.

We will bow and worship Bacchus and get mighty loud and raucous.

Then we'll lay us down and facchus and that's good enough for me.

 

We will go and worship Thor, he makes all the women sore

But they soon come back for more and that's good enough for me.

 

We will all be saved by Mithras.  We will all be saved by Mithras

Slay the Bull and play the Zithras on that Resurrection Day.

 

It was good enough for Loki, it was good enouqh for Loki.

He thinks Thor's a little hokey and he's good enough for me.

 

We will all go to Nirvana, we will all go to Nirvana.

Make a left turn at Savannah and we'll see the Promised Land.

 

It was good for Old Jehovah, he had a son who was a Nova.

Hey there, Mithras, move on ova'!  A new Resurrection Day.

 

I hear Valkyries a-coming.  In the air, their song is coming.

They forgot the words. they're humming!  Yet, they're good enough for me.

 

There are those who when they've got E-normous problems that are knotty,

Just refer them to Hecate and that's good enough for me.

 

There was a time, so I've heard tell a fine, upstanding, strong young fella,

Gave his all to serve Cybele and that's good enough for me.

 

As the waning year is ending, young and old souls now are blending,

Voices round the circle sending Samhain joy across the worlds.

 

Through the endless night we shiver, flames around the Yule log quiver

As we aim to praise the Giver of the Sun on Solstice Morn.

 

Pagans gather in the clearing for the end of winter's nearing,

And the maiden is appearing, bringing promises of spring.

 

Light and darkness stand together, leafing birch and flow'ring heather.

Brethren clad in fur and feather tell us spring has come again.

 

We will all do praise to Horus in an old Egyptian chorus.

If there's something in it for us, then it's good enough for me.

 

Do the rites of old Cthulhu, you and me and Mr. Sulu;

Howling like a drunken Zulu and it's good enough for me.

 

We will all sacrifice to Kali, though embracing her is folly.

She'd be quite an armful – golly! - and she's good enough for me.

 

It was good for old Osiris; but what I want to inquire is:

Can you Xerox a papyrus?  It's good enough for me.

 

It was good for Dionysis 'til one time there came a crisis

From a rise in tavern prices and it's good enough for me.

 

Well, Pan's pipes got clogged last summer and it really was a bummer.

Fin'ly had to call the plumber, but it's good enough for me.

 

"Necronomicon"?  I'll buy one.  "Liber Eibon" I'll reply on.

And the "Protocols Of Zion"; they're all good enough for me.

 

We had better worship Neptune.  We had better worship Neptune.

If we don't we'll all be wet soon, and that's good enough for me.

 

It was good for Bilbo Baggins.  It was good for Bilbo Baggins.

Treasure sometimes comes with dragons; but it's good enough for me.

 

You can keep your saints and halos; myrrh, frankincense and aloes.

Let's toss virgins in volcanoes, that's good enough for me.

 

If you pray to Old Uranus, then your crime is truly heinous.

You can stick it in your songbook, 'cause it's good enough for me.

 

Let us all join with the Dryads.  Let us all join with the Dryads.

Trees may not quite be the Triad, but they're good enough for me.

 

Michael Valentine is grokking clothing usage he is a-topping.

"Thou art God" the phrase he's dropping and I'm good enough for me.

 

We will venerate the Buddha.  We will venerate the Buddha.

He ain't quite the Lion of Judah, but he's good enough for me.

 

Oh the ancient Goddess Herthus.  From herself, the Earth did birth us.

Were her sins so bad they're worth us?  She's good enough for me.

 

The Episcopals are sav'ed.  In the Lamb's blood they are bathed

They say I'm totally depraved; well, it's good enough for me.

 

"Necronomicon"'s still leading; all the others, it's exceeding.

But don't move your lips when reading, 'cause that isn't good for you.

 

We will worship old Osiris as we sit and smoke Papyrus.

We will prob'ly catch a virus, but it's good enough for me.

 

If you think these verses floor us, then just write another chorus.

Just as long as you don't bore us, then it's good enough for me.

 

There's a blacksmith god, Hephaestus.  Far ahead of all the rest o'us.

And his balls are pure asbestos, but he's good enough for me.

 

If your rising sign is Aries, you'll be taken by the fairies,

Meet the Buddha in Benares, where he'll hit you with a pie.

 

We will venerate Bubastes.  We will venerate Bubastes.

If you like us, then just ask us, and that's good enough for me.

 

We will read from the Cabala.  We will read from the Cabala.

It won't get you in Valhalla; yet, it's good enough for me.

 

Let us not forget Puck.  Let us take a leaping fuck.

Let us wade on through the muck, it's good enough for me.

 

We will even worship Hades, though he dwells among the shadies.

He still picks up pretty ladies, so he's good enough for me.

 

Let's all hug our Earthy Mother; there is nothing that I'd druther.

She's better than any other and that's good enough for me.

 

We will all practice tantra.  Groans and grunts will be our mantra.

There's nothing that you can't'a; it's good enough for me.

 

There are frogs out in the Abyss armed with athame and labrys.

They are green and rather scabrous; but, they're good enough for me.

 

Well, the Japanese use Shinto.  There's no telling what they're into.

It helps them outsell the Pinto and that's good enough for me.

 

We will bow down to Cuchulain, he's got all the women droolin'.

Tell you brother, I'm not foolin and that's good enough for me.

 

Oh the Christians are a humming 'cause they say their God is comin'.

But our God has two times thrummin' and the Goddess at least three.

 

Well, those Christians are all humming 'cause they say their God is coming;

Our God came three times this evening; that's good enough for me.

 

And the Brave Illuminati can hail Eris in a body.

Though we think they're rather dotty, they're fun enough for me.

 

We will worship old Poseidon and the dolphin he's a-ridin'.

Though it has a slimy hide on, it is good enough for me.

 

We will run the Lupercalia with our leather paraphernalia.

Substitute for genitalia, that's not good enough for me.

 

We will all go worship Loki and he'll tell a dirty jokie

And get locked up in the pokey.  But that's good enough for me.

 

We will worship like the Druids, drinking strange fermented fluids.

Dancing naked through the wo-ods, but that's good enough for me.

 

We will worship Good Old Buddha.  Of the gods, there are none cutah.

Comes in silver, brass or pewtah and that's good enough for me.

 

It was good enough for Thor.  I can hear his thunder roar.

Or maybe it's his snore; but, it's good enough for me.

 

There's the God who is a monkey, his behavior's kind of funky

But he makes a lousy Bunkie.  Still, he is good enough for me.

 

We will sacrifice to Kali, though her Thugs don't act too pally

When you meet them in an alley.  She's still good enough for me.

 

We will all go worship Juno, for there is one thing we do know:

She did not burn Brother Bruno, which is good enough for me.

 

We will all go worship Vesta, for her cooking is the best-a.

All the food at the fiesta is good enough for me.

 

We will even worship Yoda, who is small as an iota.

But fulfills his Jedi quota, which is good enough for me.

 

We will praise the gods of Hagar at a sort of Nordic Seder.

Buy the sacraments from Zabar and that's good enough for me.

 

We will hoist a mighty flagon to the Glory of old Dagon.

And we won't go on the wagon, which is good enough for me.

 

We will bow down to the Goddess as she wears her Cretan bodice

And the women cry "Come prod us!"; which is good enough for me.

 

When we gather with Astarte, it will be a noisy party.

For the loving will be hearty and that's good enough for me.

 

Here's to Shakespeare's Setebos from the South American Coast.

To Caliban, he's the most and he's good enough for me

 

Let us sing to Mother Hera.  Papa Zeus had best beware-a

'Cause his wife's a holy terror.  That's good enough for me.

 

Let us sing one verse to Shiva because it made me a believer

When I saw Parvati's beaver.  It's good enough for me.

 

Let us sing to Mother Isis.  She's no female Dionysus,

But she's okay in a crisis.  She's good enough for me.

 

Let's wave "bye-bye" to Jehovah, 'cause his age is almost over.

Patriarchal pigs in clover ain't good enough for me.

 

You can read of King Osiris and his death-by-kinship virus

In some moldy old papyrus.  That's good enough for me.

 

Old Jehovah wants your foreskin.  So, Jehovah wants your foreskin?

What good to Him's one more skin?  It's good enough on me.

 

Let us raise a toast to Bacchus.  We will raise a royal ruckus.

When we'll lay us down and fuck us.  That's good enough for me.

 

There's an Ibis-headed cutie, keeping records is his duty,

And his name's Tahuti-Frutti.  That's good enough for me.

 

And we'll even sing to Moses, though his law's no bed of roses.

Let him pay us what he owes us.  That's good enough for me.

 

With your trusty old athame you can blast a double whammy

Or slice and dice salami.  That's good enough for me.

 

There's that bathing beauty, Venus.  She'd just love to lay between us.

(There's two ways to take a penis.   Both good enough for me!)

 

There are those who practice Voodoo.  There are those who practice Voodoo.

I know I do, I hope you do.  That's good enough for me.

 

It may look like knife and chalice.  It may look like knife and chalice.

But it's really quim and phallus.  That's good enough for me.

 

We have lots of fun at Samhain.  Everyone has fun at Samhain.

Except, perhaps, a cowan.  But, that's okay by me.

 

Well she raised an awful flurry when she made the scholars worry.

Thank the gods for Margaret Murray.  She's good enough for me.

 

At Prodea we're artistic and a trifle egoistic.

But, above all, lesbianistic.  It's good enough for me.

 

There are some that say its scary when the Papists pray to Mary.

Her son may be a fairy, but she's good enough for me.

 

Well, it made me a believer when I met that old man, Shiva

And his Cannibis Sativa.  It's good enough for me.

 

Let us go and worship Loki.  He's the old Norse God of Chaos;

Which is why this verse doesn't rhyme or scan.  But, it's good enough for me.

 

All this Muslim hype on Allah is immensely hard to swallah.

I, myself, prefer Damballah.  That's good enough for me.

 

When you go to worship Odin, you don't need a tie or coat on.

You just slap a little woad on.  So, it's good enough for me.

 

It was good enough for granny.  She could cast a double whammy

That would knock you on your fanny.  So, it's good enough for me.

 

It's the fruit of all my training and it don't need no explaining.

Now, if it would just stop raining...  It's good enough for me.

 

Jerry Falwell says he's sav-ed.  In the lamb's blood he is bath-ed.

And he thinks that I'm deprav-ed, but, that doesn't bother me.

 

Paganism's our life's spices.  The Old God of Man entices.

So just ankh if you love Isis.  That's good enough for me.

 

Let us sing a verse for Alison:  a Pagan without malice an'

She's California's talisman.  She's good enough for me.

 

Here is one thing that I do know: Jove's favorite is Juno.

'Cause she's awfully good at ... you know.  And that's good enough for me.

 

Don't forget about great Isis.  She'll stand by us in a crisis.

And she hasn't raised her prices.  So, she's good enough for me.

 

Thanks to great Quetzalcoatl and the sacred Axolotl

For the gift of chocolotl and please pass some on to me.

 

We'll sing praises to Apollo.  Where the Sun God leads, we'll follow.

Tho' his head's a little hollow, he's good enough for me.

 

Let us gather in our saunas when the spirit comes upon us

To perform the rites of Faunus.  That's good enough for me.

 

When you go to California, Pagans there'll jump upon ya.

Well, don't say I didn't warn ya.  You heard it first from me.

 

We will all bow down to Lilith.  'Cause she doeth what she willith.

When she willth, Lilith killith.  But, it's good enough for me.

 

When we all bowed down to Nuit, there was really nothing to it.

Uncle Alex made us do it.  That's good enough for me.

 

It's not good enough for Reagan.  It's not good enough for Reagan.

He's too square to be a Pagan.  But, it's good enough for me.

 

Nous nous appellons Druides.  Et nous sommes de l'Atlantide.

C'est peut-etre un peu stupide, mais c'est bon mon avis.

            (We call ourselves Druids.  We come from Atlantis.

            Maybe that's stupld, but it's good enough for me.)

 

Meeting at the Witching Hour by the Bud and Branch and Flower

Folks are raising up the power and that's where I want to be.

 

It was good enough for Dagon, a conservative old Pagan

Who still votes for Ronald Reagan and he's good enough for me.

 

It was all for Dionysius:  drinking red wine mixed with spices,

Keeping up with all the vices.  He's good enough for me.

 

Let us pray like Jim and Tammy, buying condos in Miami

And not telling Uncle Sammy.  It's good enough for me.

 

I don't really go for Shinto, it is something I'm not into.

But, I guess, I could begin to.  It's good enough for me.

 

Let us sacrifice to Kali, though embracing her is folly.

She is quite an armful -- golly!  She's good enough for me.

 

A man of wisdom is the Sufi.  Of the truth, he has no proof, he

Just spins 'round until he's goofy.  He's good enough for me.